Unbalanced Power Book One: Gardevoir, My Angel
by Orthros
Summary: Join Terry Collins, a 16 year old Psychic, and Angel the Gardevoir as they journey across Unova, beginning their legacy and unknowingly their part in the fate of the world. (Book One in the Unbalanced Power Series - Rated M(MA) For Suggestive Themes, Violence, Blood/Gore, Dark Humor/Themes, Mild Sexual Themes.) (Rewrite in progress. Read "Pawns Alike: Book One" for the new one!)
1. Prologue

Hello. My name is Terry Collins. I'm 20 years old. I feel much older, though. My journey was taxing. Many things happened. Not all of them were good. Yet, I feel like if I hadn't taken it I would have ended up dead in a gutter with bloody wrists. Despite all the hardships that I had to endure, I enjoyed it. I really did. I traveled all over Unova, met the greatest of friends, the fiercest of rivals, the most bitter enemies. I spent the entire journey with Angel at my side. Psychic Type pokemon are very intelligent, Angel was no exception. But I discovered several other things about her and Psychic Types, pokemon in general as well. What I'm writing for you today is the story of my Journey, from start to finish, reliving the joy and fear, happiness and pain, the best days and the worst. I don't know who will read this, if anyone, or whether or not people will enjoy it. But I am not writing it for people to read. No. I'm writing it so I will never, ever forget the memories I gained, the lessons I learned. Because if I did, I would never forgive myself. I wouldn't even try.

As of right now, I'm sitting in front of the fireplace. It's about eleven at night. Angel is asleep on the couch, looking peaceful for the first time in a long time. I'm lost in thought, just letting my mind guide my pencil down the page, writing whatever it wants.

I tell myself every night that it's good that I finally stopped, settled down, found a place to live.

But I know in my heart that I will never truly stop adventuring, never stop exploring. Because no matter what happens, the thirst for fun and exciting new things thrives within me.

My name is Terry Collins. This is my story.

 **Author's Note: Well, I finally got off my lazy ass and rewrote the Prologue. I like it a lot, but I'm still debating whether or not it supports the overall feeling and mood of the story. Any input is appreciated. Thanks, and Happy Reading! -Orthros**


	2. Chapter I: The First Day

**-Terry's POV-**

"TERRY! YOU'RE LATE! GET UP!"

The words smash into my head like a cannon shot as I fly out of bed and, screaming, crash to the floor. Dazed, I look up. Standing in the doorway, a smirk on her pale, white face, is Angel, my Kirlia. She's in the process of trying to hold back a laugh, and I would like to add that she isn't doing very well at it. I don't mind though, just seeing her brightens my day.

"Yeah, sure, give me a heart attack. Real funny." I grumble out loud, climbing to my feet and throwing the covers back on my bed. The smile on my face revealed that I was just messing with her, though, and in response she grins at me. My 15 year-old self stares at me from the mirror next to my bed. I'm about 5 foot 8 inches tall, with emerald-green eyes and thick, coal black hair, which is spread about, bedhead style.

Angel walks over and stands next to me, holding onto my pajama pants leg. Her sunset orange eyes gaze into the mirror, where her light blue hair and orange horns on her head are reflected back. We stand there for a moment and I watch as her grin fades away, replaced with a look of worry. I pick her up gently, then lay back on the bed. She moves slightly, getting into her favorite position in my lap, so her head is on my chest, over my heart. Closing her eyes, she sighs softly.

 **-Memory-**

Even though I got my pokemon licence at the age of 10, Angel, still a Ralts at the time, and I talked to my parents about staying a few more years, until I was older. Both my parents agreed. Mother was in tears and was happy to have me stay a bit longer. Father was applying gauze to a wound that his partner Gallade, nicknamed Blade, had gotten earlier that day while training. Not taking his eyes off the cut, he agreed that it would be great to have me stay. He even said that while I was here, he could help me and Angel further increase our bond before we start traveling.

The biggest thing he taught us was the act of Physical Reassurance. We, even mom, wondered why he and Blade always lounged together for hours at a time one specific way after training. Dad explained that while on his journey, one of the most important things he did was head over to Psychic City. It was near Floccesy town, close to the Cave of Being, he said.

People that want to move on to a bigger stage in their Bond with a Psychic Type would go there and rent one of the many cabins there for an average of just over one year. During that time, the Trainer and Pokemon, aided and given ideas by the assistants, would lay on the couch in the main room whenever resting between training sessions, in a different position every two weeks.

Any positions the pair preferred, they would continue to practice after they left. The purpose, father said, was to develop a way for the pair to relax, in a calming sort of way. Lounging like that, in a peaceful environment, in a familiar way each time, helped ease any mental, emotional, and physical stress the day had brought. This, in turn, allowed for a stronger bond and anything that needed to be talked over could be done in that way. If your bond is strong, you can even prevent your partner from feeling pain while you treat him or her. It was such a good thing to do, he said, that now the pokemon centers each have at least two private rooms setup just for that kind of bonding moment.

When Angel became a Kirlia, dad, her and I all sat in my room and debated about the positions we should use. It was an interesting talk, dad was never the speech making kind of guy, I was 13 and Angel had just turned 9 at the time. He asked us to be completely honest and truthful. "If I asked you two to lay on this bed together in any fashion, would you do it?" It was kind of shocking for obvious reasons, but we both nodded nonetheless.

We layed on the bed in the position we are in now, in the present, and he didn't even have to ask if we liked it. We layed like that for an hour each night before bed, and it worked great. Relaxing like that helped both our moods, and our bond strengthened.

 **-Present, Terry POV-**

I breathed deeply, letting our mental connection flow. She sighed again as my calm, content feelings went from my mind to hers, and her agitation lessened slightly. I brought my hand that wasn't supporting her over to her head, and softly stroked behind her ears. "You're scared to leave because everything will be so new." It wasn't a question, I could tell. She was extremely shy, and having assholes come over to our house everyday to demand to buy her because of her unusual coloring didn't help. She looks up at me, and I don't need to read her mind to see the fear coming back.

"I don't want to leave. What if someone tries to hurt you because you're with me?" She says softly.

I'm slightly taken aback by her reasoning, but I try not to let her know. "No one will hurt me, or you, while we are together. I will protect you." I smirk a little, trying to brighten the mood. "Besides, have you seen my arms?! I'm like a gorilla, no one will try me." This gets a small laugh out of her, and I can tell it worked.

"Thank you, Terry. You always know the right thing to say." She responds, smiling slightly.

"Not all the time, but I try." I disagree. "Shall we get going?"

"Sure, I'll wait in the living room while you get dressed." She gets up off my chest and walks to the door, where she pauses.

"Alex is going to meet us at the Research Center so we can talk to Professor Juniper before we leave. He is getting Nicky registered as his first pokemon today!" She says happily.

I smile as a reflex to the joy that spreads through my heart, although not all of it is mine. "That's great! We could travel together!" At this, Angel jumps back into my arms and hugs me.

"You really mean it? That would be so much fun! Get dressed so we can go meet him!" Before I can react, she jumps back off me and runs from the room. I'm not surprised that she's happy about that. Alex turned 10 yesterday, and has a Kirlia that he bonded with, by the name of Nicky. Nicky and Angel are like brother and sister, going on this journey together would be beneficial to both of them.

A few minutes later, I'm dressed and have joined Angel in the living room. I kissed mom goodbye, and, with Angel perched on my shoulder, headed out. As we got nearer to the center, I can see Alex, with his purple-dyed hair and tan skin, along with Nicky, talking to Professor Juniper. When we walk up, Juniper hands Alex his pokedex and extra pokeballs. I extend my hand in greeting.

"Hey, Alex! Hi, Professor Juniper!" I say.

Juniper looks up and smiles. "Hey, Terry! Alex here just got registered. Oh, and Angel! How are you?"

Angel hops off my shoulder and walks onto my extended arm, where she shakes the Professor's hand as well. She smiles, although I can feel her shake just slightly.

"Hi… I'm doing ok... How are you, Professor?" Angel responds softly.

Juniper looks surprised for a moment, as last time she saw Angel, Angel wasn't very developed at telepathy with other people and I had to translate. But she also backed off a bit and became less energetic. I had a feeling she knew that Angel was still shy, and I sent a look of thanks when she checked her enthusiasm.

"I'm doing very well. You seem to have developed your telepathy greatly. Good for you." She turns to Alex. "Alex here is in a similar case as you were when I first met you, he's still translating for Nicky."

I'm not surprised by this, most Kirlia are unable to communicate with people they didn't bond with for a while, and the trainer often has to translate. I decided to try something, though. I concentrated my thoughts, focusing on a simple, clear message.

"Nicky, can you hear me?" I think. Nicky's reaction was immediate, he jumped as though a loud bang just sounded behind him, then looked up at me.

"Yes, I can hear you. How can you talk with me, even though I'm not bonded with you?" He asks, sounding majorly confused.

I laughed, both Alex and Professor Juniper were looking at me with confused expressions. Out loud, I said, "I can communicate with Nicky because my partner Angel is close by, and our bond has strengthened to the point that I can communicate with other psychic types through her mind." When Alex and Juniper continued to look confused, I went on. "I just talked with Nicky telepathically. You could consider Angel here like an old fashioned Telephone operator. Through her mind, I was able to pick up Nicky's thought waves." Now they looked impressed.

"Wow!" Alex said excitedly. "Will I be able to do that with Nicky?" I smiled warmly.

"Yes, you will, in time. I developed that power with Angel here when I was 12." I said as I gently pulled my partner off my tiring arm so I could cradle her near my chest. "I came here to congratulate you on becoming a pokemon trainer, Alex. I also wanted to know if you would like to journey with me. I'm setting out right after this. Angel and Nicky would like it, I'm sure." Alex smiled wide.

"It sounds great! Ill grab my stuff and meet you at the entrance to the route!" He raced off, with Nicky at his heels. I laughed, inhaling the sweet air of the trees that surrounded our little town of Nuvema. Joy and love filled my head, I looked down and smiled at Angel, knowing that we were sharing our feelings through our bond. Professor Juniper could probably tell that our minds were in sync, she quietly bid us goodbye and went inside her research facilities. I carefully set Angel back on my shoulder, and together we walked to the edge of town. Alex was waiting for us, with Nicky on his shoulder as well. I smirked.

"Copycat."

Alex smirked back. "Hey, it's a good idea, and I still give you credit. Shall we?"

I nodded. "We shall."

Together we took our first step onto route 1.

 **(Author's Note: Rewrote chapter I to fix a couple of grammar issues. If you guys see anything that needs to be fixed or explained, let me know! Thanks! Happy Reading! -Orthros)**


	3. Chapter II: Wake-Up Call

**-Terry POV,** **FP** **-**

"Go, Pokeball!" I shout, as I throw the red, white and black orb at the patrat, who was unconscious on the ground under a nearby tree. Angel the Kirlia stands close by, breathing deeply after the fight. I watch as the ball hits the wild pokemon, before it opens up and a red light swallows the Patrat and seals it inside. The ball shakes once… twice… thrice… "YES! WE DID IT!" I raise the pokeball in victory, my other arm cradling Angel, who has a happy smile on her face but is still short of breath. Through our mental bond, I feel her mixed emotions of joy, happiness, tiredness and pain. Concern for her replaces some of my positivity.

I put the pokeball into my bag, which I set on the ground at the base of the tree. Gently, I lift Angel off my chest, feeling her stiffen as I touch her side by mistake, were the patrat bit her. I sit down on the little hill and lay back a bit. She immediately assumes her favorite position and lays with her back against my chest, closing her eyes as we both go into a calm state of mind. _We aren't even an hour away from Nuvema Town and already Physical Reassurance is proving useful._ I thought to myself. I know I need to treat Angel's wound, so once she has calmed down and regained her breath, I carefully, while avoiding the bite area, set her on the grass at my side. As I'm getting out my medical equipment from my bag, a 10 year old boy by the name of Alex, and his male Kirlia, Nicky, approach us.

"I saw what happened. I was going to come and assist with Angels bandages, but you guys laid down first, so I backed off. Are you ready to start, and do you need any help?" He asked, concern lacing his voice.

I look up at Alex. Even though he is only 10, he knows a lot about the bonds between a trainer and their partner. "Thanks for backing off, I only did that first because when I lifted her up, I accidentally injured her further…" I admit, feeling a bit depressed at the thought. "I did that so I could get Angel into a calm state of mind before I did any bandaging. I don't think I need your help, unless you wouldnt mind topping off my water bottle from the stream? I know I just did it but I won't be the only one using it now." Alex nods, grabs the bottle and walks off, leaving us in quiet. I return my focus to Angel, who is stiff as a board, but I can tell that the pain has eased off now that she's not moving. I stroke her forehead softly, her light blue hair covering the sunset orange of her eyes looks just as amazing as ever. I remove a roll of bandages from my bag, and start unwinding them. When I get enough out, I mentally converse with Angel.

"You can hear me clearly, right? I need to lift your back up a little so I can get your bandages on." I get a mix of calm and worried emotions that aren't my own in response, but I respond by applying a small bit of force to my stroking. The added pressure through her hair acts as a massaging effect, and her nervousness dies down. Slowly, I lift her up a little and begin wrapping her middle with medical tape, putting tissue over the small teeth marks. When I have wrapped it a few times, I set her back down and sit up. She breathes deeply before closing her eyes and falling into a light sleep. I smile at her slim form, knowing she feels safe and sound if she is able to fall asleep like that, as shy and timid as she is.

I look up as Alex and Nicky are coming back, and quickly put a finger to my lips. Both immediately quiet down. Alex kneels down and looks from me to Angel in turn. "Is she ok?" He whispers softly.

"Yeah, she fell asleep as I finished bandaging her, I could sense her battle adrenaline taper off. I quietly replied. After I put away my medical equipment, I pick up Angel. Even asleep in my arms, she moves slightly so that her head is over my heart, a sign of our bond. I give a thumbs up to Alex, and we continue on our way to Accumula Town.

As we walk into town, I point out the Pokemon Center to Alex, and we make a beeline to it. When the doors open, one of them makes a loud screeching sound, like it needs to be oiled. Regardless of the reason, it scares the shit out of me and Alex, both of us jumping badly. The sudden movements jar Angel awake, and, panicked by the the sudden charge of fear in my emotions, releases a telekinetic blast that pushes me away from the doors and causes me to fall to the ground. I am able to tuck my head to my chest and shield Angel with my body, though, so no real damage was done. I lay on the ground and compose myself and my emotions quickly before checking on Angel, as I wanted our mental exchange to be calm.

"Are you ok?" I ask her. "I'm sorry I scared you like that, Angel. The door screeched really loudly and it scared me half to death. I jumped really badly." She looks up at me from her position on my chest, still the same from before we fell. Her emotional river tapers off as she mentally composes herself, then answers.

"I forgive you. I'm sorry for lashing out like I did, But to be honest I don't think I'm the only one that blasted." She points to Alex and Nicky, who are on the ground near by, no doubt dealing with the blast as well. I wouldn't be surprised if they both freaked out like that, Nicky was on edge about entering the city as well, due to the crowds. At that moment Nurse Joy appears in the doorway of the center.

"My goodness, are you boys alright? That stupid door, it's always screeching like that. I had a warning sign out but it must have been blown away by the wind. Please, come in." She adds, helping Alex and I to our feet. As we follow her inside, Alex gives me a small nod, which I take as a sign that Nicky and he are ok. I return the nod.

Inside the pokemon center, a small crowd is gathered, some reading magazines, others tending to their pokemon, going about their business. I'm not entirely surprised when people look up as we enter, nor when they stare at Angel, some with hungry eyes. I feel Angel put her face against my shirt and her mind fill with fear. I stop and look at the crowd with a stare that would scare off a fully grown Ursaring. "Angel is not for sale, nor is she an object to be collected. Back off, or you will regret it," I say, my voice dripping in venom.

"He won't be alone, Nicky and I will attack as well," I hear Alex say as he stands next to me. I keep up my stare until all of them look down, then walk swiftly but casually over to an unoccupied couch, away from the other trainers. Alex hands Nicky over to Nurse Joy for treatment, then joins me.

He looks me in the eye, then reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. The friendly gesture snaps me out of my mood and I give him a look of thanks, before sitting down on the couch with Angel. Alex gives us space as I stretch out a bit and allow Angel to lay on my chest. I can tell she is scared, but also grateful that I made those people back off.

Alex leans over and whispers in my ear, "I'm going to get us some food from the cafe next door. In the meantime, you should practice Physical Reassurance. You're really damn tense, Terry, and I doubt it's helping either of you. Relax." Without another word, he turns on heel and walks out the door.

I know he is right and I agree with him, so I wave a hand to one of the assistants. "I'm going to relax in a PR position, can you get a small sign that warns others to back off? I have a feeling that they wouldn't mind breaking rules to take Angel here." The assistant smiles, nods, and walks into one of the storage rooms. He returns moments later with a sign in bold writing saying " **Psychic PR, Do Not Disturb."** Below that is a definition of Physical Reassurance for psychic types. I thank the man and lay on the couch, allowing Angel to rest in the crook of my arm. I get a small, weighted blanket from my pack and place it over her. Her mind is cluttered, she is scared and confused and shy, and it almost feels like she might bolt out the door and start running. I didn't think she would be this afraid. In an attempt to distract her, I start a mental conversation.

" _Relax. Alex will be back here in a few minutes, then I'll get us a private room. We can have Nurse Joy treat you in there, away from the other people and pokemon."_ I sit up a bit more and start rocking back and forth a little, to help calm her agitated nerves. It works a small bit, but not much.

She looks down. "I'm scared, Terry. Those people wanted to own me, but none of them had any love in their eyes. They had murderous thoughts when you talked like you did." Her mental voice is accompanied by a sob from her mouth as she continues, tears in her eyes. "They want to hurt us, and the Pokemon Centers level of security is the only thing stopping them." She can't talk anymore and cries quietly into my shirt. I shift so I can massage her neck and head, applying gentle pressure and mentally conversing with soothing gestures, while I wait for Alex.

A few minutes later he walks back in, his arms filled with take-out. As he looks in our direction, his expression changes from happy to shocked to understanding to calm in the space of a few seconds. I get a look of understanding and give him one of thanks, as he drops the food next to me and goes to Nurse Joy. I watch as Nicky is returned and they acquire a room key. Walking back, he picks up the food and beckons for me to follow. While I slowly get up and follow him out of the room, I can feel every pair of eyes in the center lobby follow our backs as we walk down the hall and out of sight.


	4. Chapter III: Priorities

As Alex opens the door to our room, I place the hand not holding my upset Kirlia, Angel, on his shoulder. "God forbid I ever have to travel without you, Alex. Thank you so much for the help."

Alex gives me a warm smile as he stands back to let me in. "It looked like you could use a hand. PR never works as well in a public area, and to be honest it only delayed her reaction. No offense, Angel. Two couches, sweet. Take the far one, I'll get the one closer to the door."

The room had one bed, one large couch on the far wall and one smaller couch on the opposite by the door. It was fairly dark, but as it was late and Angel was distressed, I figured it would help. I crossed the room to the far wall and dropped my bag at the foot of the wide couch. I heard the door lock and looked at Alex, confused. "If I read that situation right, those trainers will do just about anything to get Angel. The bolt will prevent them from getting in."

I nodded, then brought out the weighted blanket I keep on hand for Angel. I sat down on the couch and brought Angel onto my lap, placing her head against my heart. I cover her with the weighted blanket and the contact and steady beat of my heart immediately start to work their magic. Her fear slowly drains away, replaced with an intense, drained feeling. She snores softly soon after. I lay like that, with her in my arms, mulling over the day. _So much happened in the four-ish hours we traveled. Angel has a fear of crowds, an extreme fear, for good reason. I need to come up with a way to keep her calm in a crowded area… Perhaps the backpack could provide a place for her to travel in… I could line it with the blanket and she can zip herself in when she's nervous. Ill ask her tomorrow…_

I get up slowly, not waking Angel, and set her on the couch, still covered by her blanket. Turning around, I find Alex putting Nicky down as well, who's out cold.

"Go ahead and use the facilities first, Alex. I need to relax a bit more first. The bed is yours by the way, I can fit on this couch easily, and Angel will probably be a bit distressed in the morning anyway. I'll need to confront that." I tell him in quiet tones. Alex nods, grabs a spare change of clothes, and heads into the bathroom.

He pauses in the doorway, and says quietly, "On the off chance Nicky wakes, tell him where I am please." I nod and he looks slightly relieved before he enters the rest of the way and closes the door behind him. I take off my shoes, shirt, and pants, and put on some long shorts. Ever since Angel started laying with me each night before bed for PR, we find that a shirt is agitating to her, but the shorts prevent things from getting weird.

I lift her up slowly, trying not to wake her. As I'm laying back down, though, she awakes. I feel her momentary panic before she remembers where we are. "Sorry for waking you," I whisper, rubbing her forehead. "Go back to sleep, Angel. I was only moving you so you could get some PR while you sleep. I know that it helps with nightmares."

This being entirely true, the few times we stayed overnight anywhere besides home, her nightmares kept her up very nearly all night, and I would purposefully stay at the hotel so she would feel safe. She doesn't respond, rather just lays back down and listens to my heartbeat. I allow our mental bond to flow, exchanging her fear, worry and tiredness with my calm, safe and secure feelings. Soon her thoughts taper off and flow into dreams. After Alex returns from the restroom, I allow myself to follow her example.

I wake up to sunlight streaming through the small window into the room. My hands search for the Kirlia that was sleeping with me but instead find empty covers. I sit bolt upright and see no one else in the room. There is, however, a note on the door.

 _ **Dear Terry, Angel, Nicky, and I have gone down for breakfast. Angel is doing OK, I have Nicky playing with her. I expect people to give stares, so I will be having Nurse Joy set up a small security for us while we are here. We will see you in the lobby. -Alex**_

With each word, I relax a bit more. I recognize Alex's handwriting so I know it's him. I take a moment to compose myself, then reach out with my mind to sense Angel. She senses me and connects, sounding refreshed. "Hi, Terry! Did you sleep well? I did, the PR helped a lot."

I smile warmly to myself before replying. "I slept great, thanks. I'm glad you did as well. Tell Alex that I'll be down in a moment… And I know you want to come up and see me, you can't hide it… Stay there, I think it would be much safer for you to stay with Alex until I get there," I finish. Her emotions recoil for a split second before she agrees, but it's enough to tell me that she doesn't like that decision. I make a mental note to ask her about it later.

I get dressed and head down, pausing in the hallway exit while I search for my friends. I spot them on the couch we were at before, and make my way to them. As I approach, one of the nearby assistants puts a hand on my shoulder. I look at him, and he holds my stare. Then Angel jumps onto the couch arm next to him and then into my arms. He looks confused for a split second and then backs off, his face red with embarrassment. I chuckle and pat his arm, letting him know it wasn't a problem. I adjust my hold on Angel slightly so she is sitting on my arm, and head to the couch. Alex nods in greeting as I sit down, his mouth full of ham sandwich. Nicky does the same. I laugh, then set Angel on my lap and grab one of them from the platter on our table.

"Have you eaten yet, Angel?" I ask. A stupid question, she almost always waits for me, but I ask out of respect nonetheless.

She shakes her head. "No, I haven't." Her stomach backs her up to make sure she was heard. We laugh, and I get her a sandwich to nibble on as well. While we are eating, I scan the room with my eyes. I saw several people staring at Angel, but as I caught their eyes they looked down. all except for one person. He was big, with arms like bazookas, a leather jacket with the sleeves ripped off. We finished our food and started to get ready to leave. Alex signaled that he was ready, so I thanked the assistants that watched over us and was halfway to the door before I felt an arm on my shoulder.

"Hand over your Kirlia." A voice says, sounding rough and full of menace. I didn't move, but I could hear the whole center quiet down.

I quickly came up with a plan. _Nicky, tell Alex to keep walking and have him get ready to catch Angel when she teleports to you. My number one goal is her safety._ I direct the thought towards the other Kirlia, and in the corner of my eye I see Nicky and Alex walking out the door. I tighten my grip on Angel slightly and turn around.

Like I thought, the biker guy was the one who stopped me, and he had his hand stretched out to take Angel. I backed up half a step, speaking. "I thought I warned all of you yesterday to back off. She may be rare, but she is not an object to be owned. Angel is a pokemon, a partner, an equal, and my bonded, trusted friend!" I raised my voice, by the time I finished talking I was shouting.

I saw the biker pull back his fist for a punch. "ANGEL, TELEPORT!" I scream. She disappeared in a flash of light as I dipped to the left. He threw another wild punch, but I used my forearm to knock it away and then put everything I had into an uppercut. My fist smashed into his chin and the man was lifted over a foot into the air before he fell back, out cold, onto the floor. I looked at him in rage before casting an angry look at the rest of the center, all of whom had backed up in fear.

"Anyone else? Why you would think I would go around with the only known shiny Kirlia in existence without knowing how to defend myself, I have no idea! Now I'm going to walk out the door, and if anyone follows me you will end up a hell of alot worse then him!" I yell, pointing at the biker.

Nurse Joy walks up to me, and I have half a mind to defend myself from her, too. Before I can act, she speaks up. "This biker will be going to jail for attempted kidnapping of this boys Kirlia. Judging by how fast he dealt with that man, you all should consider the consequences of trying anything." She looks at me with a reassuring glance. "I'll let the other pokemon centers know of your travels, so they can set up security for you. What is your name?"

"Terry Collins" I reply angrily, adrenaline still coursing through me. Nurse Joy walks back to her desk, but pauses slightly when I send her a mental thanks. Breathing deeply, I turn on heel and walk out the door, catching it before it can screech at me again. Alex is sitting under a nearby tree, Nicky playing in the grass next to him, but with Angel in his arms, quivering. _God dammit, that was stupid. I let my anger control me, and through our bond I scared the shit out of her._

I pause just outside the doors and check my anger. I move over and sit next to Alex, who speaks. "Next time, close your connection first. I know you needed to take care of that the way you did, but she can't even speak with me, she's so terrified. Look at me." I look over. Hes got a stern but understanding expression. "Take her, you two need to walk a bit. We can head to route 2, it will be much less crowded. You can talk to her there, when the pair of you have calmed down a bit." Being very gentle, he lifts Angel and sets her in my lap, then gets up and starts heading to the Route 2 entrance. _He may be only 10, but he's smart and really mature. I need to remember that._ I get up, shifting Angel slightly, and head after Alex.

As I follow my friend, I meter the connection between my partner and I. Positive thoughts pass between us, and Angel, although she knows I'm not telling her everything, calms down as we enter the exit patrol area for route 2. When I enter, it's empty, as Alex has already gone through. I set Angel down on the help desk. We stare at each other, her sunset orange eyes and horns clashing beautifully with her light blue hair. I sigh.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. My priority was to keep you safe, but all I did was mentally scar you. Please, although I don't deserve it, please forgive me." I say softly. She doesn't respond for a moment, then walks toward me from the counter. Without a word, she hugs my chest, and I return her embrace.

"Some things have to be done," She responds. "I should know. You were only trying to protect me, and I could have shut you out so I wouldn't have been scared. But I didn't… You ask for forgiveness. I forgive you, and I ask you to forgive me for being scared when I could have handled it better…"

"I forgive you. Look at me, Angel." She looks up at me with her sunset eyes, wary but determined.

I continue, sounding confident. "I give you my word that I am making your mental, physical, and emotional safety my top priority. You were born looking different, which isn't a bad thing. But people that know how rare you are will do anything they can to get their hands on you. From now on, I want you to go nowhere without me or Alex with you. Also, you and I are going to start your power training ASAP. We are going to train on route 2 until we can defeat all the trainers here without breaking a sweat. How's that sound?" I finish, sounding more determined with every word.

Joy and and excitement flow out of her like a dam broken open. We walk out of the patrol area to find Alex and Nicky training as well. I nod to Alex and send a huge mental thanks to him. He smiles and nods. "All right Angel, let's do some training!" I shout.

 **(Author's Note: Chapter III has been rewritten to fix a grammar issue with multiple speakers in one paragraph, as well as an issue with POV. If you see anything, let me know! Thanks, and Happy Reading! -Orthros)**


	5. Chapter IV: Meetings and Memories

**-Terry POV,** **FP** **-**

The giant boulder landed with a crash that could be heard for miles around as my blue haired, orange eyed Kirlia, Angel, let her powers die down. We were on route 2, along with Alex and his partner, Nicky, doing some serious training. Trainers all over route 2 had challenged us, but all of them had gone down easily to my partner. I sent the Patrat back to Professor Juniper, preferring to keep less friends on my team at present. Considering that Angel looked like she was about to drop, and it was getting dark, I decided to call it a day. I gave my idea to Alex, who agreed that it would be a good time to head back to Accumula town.

"Alright, you two. Great job today! Let's head back, we can continue tomorrow." I praised the pokemon. Angel, upon hearing this, dropped to her knees. She has been doing well since Nurse Joy worked her magic on the patrat wound yesterday, but I still think she pushed herself to hard today. I jog over to her, at the same time watching Alex pick up Nicky as well. Through our bond, I sense Angel and the sheer tiredness coming off her in waves, like she's trying not to pass out from exhaustion. Considering it has only been a few seconds since she stopped training, I'm assuming her adrenaline will stop flowing any minute now and she will fall asleep.

I pick her up and gently set her in my modified backpack that I made during our midday break. I lined it with one of her weighted blankets we use during PR as padding, and now it serves as her goto place for crowded areas. She can barely keep her eyes open as she talks to me. "That was… fun. Where are we going to from here?"

 _Definitely tired, it sounds like she's talking to me through a crappy radio…_ I think to myself, before replying. "We are heading back to the Accumula town Pokemon Center. We can use the same room and get some shuteye before we continue onto the next city."

I pause for a moment and actually wince at the overflow of emotions that flow through my head. Due to the events that happened last night and this morning, that center is only bad memories for her. I stroke her head a little before putting the pack, with her inside, on my shoulders.

"We don't have much of a choice, you and Nicky are close to dropping, and your adrenaline hasn't even stopped flowing yet. You will be out cold before we even reach the city. Zip up the bag and stay inside, if I need to I'll wake you when we get into the room." She tries to protest but at that moment, like I thought, her energy drops and she goes out like a light. Chuckling a little, I push her head down slightly and zip the bag shut, making sure there was a small opening for fresh air. I catch up and match pace with Alex, who is carrying Nicky in his arms.

"That pack works well, doesn't it? Fits perfectly and she is completely hidden. You should have Nurse Joy send a message to the other Pokemon Centers about your arrangement so they know how to spot you when you enter, get you a room faster so she doesn't have to stay inside too long," he says, sounding tired but pleased.

I nod in agreement, before changing the subject. "Hey, Alex… I haven't properly thanked you for everything you've done since we left. You're only 10 and yet you are super mature and intelligent. You didn't even hesitate when we first went into the center, backing me up like that. As we were leaving, you gave me the perfect advice to help with Angel. To be honest, when we left together, I thought I would be the one taking care of you all the time. And yet, I'm the one getting babied. I really mean it. I couldn't ask for a better traveling companion. Thanks."

Alex is silent for a few minutes, but as we enter Accumula Town, he responds. "You are welcome. The main reason I went with you was because I thought I could learn a lot. I know I still can. I'm glad everything I did worked, I was only guessing with most of it. I want you to know that I have your back. We will continue to travel, and we will learn together. Do me one favor though." He adds, before smirking, "Stop getting into trouble." I punch him lightly in the arm, smirking as well.

"You know very well that I totally don't go looking for trouble, but with the pair of us traveling together I've no doubt that trouble will hunt us down." He grins as we walk through the center doors, with me catching the damn things before they screech. Thankfully, no one pays us much attention, as Angel is out of sight. I fill Nurse Joy in on the events that took place, motioning to my bag. She gets the idea and meets us as we are unlocking our allowed room. We walk in, her trailing behind, and bolt the door behind us.

Nurse Joy waits politely by the door while Alex and I wake up Nicky and Angel. I unzip the bag and lift her up, holding her against my chest while she rubs her eyes. Alex motions for Nurse Joy to check on Angel first. My partner shakes slightly when I set her on the bed, still tired and a bit nervous, she is always shy around people she hasn't spent much time around. I massage her neck for a moment before turning away in order to offer privacy to the pair.

Grabbing a change of pajamas, and with my back still turned, I speak. "I'm going to get changed and take a shower." It sounded weird announcing that, but I knew it would be reassuring to my friend on the bed. Her momentary panic at me heading out the door stops, and she allows Nurse Joy to continue her checkup.

I feel like a new man when I enter the room again, clothed in pajama pants and socks, but no shirt. Angel is sitting in the backpack again, which is kind of interesting to me. Nurse Joy is finishing up with NIcky. Alex nods to me as he passes, heading over the showers himself. I thank Nurse Joy and she leaves, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Nicky lays on the big bed, wide awake and waiting, I assume, for Alex to come back. I take the larger of the two couches and pull my backpack closer to me. Angel is inside, curled up under the soft fabric of her blanket. I didn't want to wake her, but we hadn't done any PR that day and I knew she would have nightmares if we didn't. I gently massaged behind her ears until she wakes back up, then carefully lift her up. She lays on my lap, with her head on my chest, listening to my heartbeat. I drape the other of the two blankets I brought over her, and then relax, clearing my mind.

The Physical Reassurance position acts better than ever in the calm environment, our emotions and thoughts clearly circling through our minds with ease. I stroke her blue hair, closing my eyes and allowing myself to exist in just this one moment. Angel drifts off into a deep sleep, and after Alex returns and starts PR with Nicky, I do the same.

 **-Next Day, Terry POV-**

I wake up earlier than usual today, immensely refreshed and restored by my dreamless sleep. I do a quick mental scan and see that Angel is on the verge of consciousness, so I dim my side of our bond in an attempt to let her sleep longer. It seems to work, her mind slows and she goes back to dreamland. Very slowly, while straining to not make a sound, I lift Angel off my chest and wrap her up in the blanket, then set her beside me. I quietly slip into a shirt and sneakers, then tiptoe over to the door. I open it slowly, then take a quick trip to the restrooms to freshen up. When I get back, Alex and Nicky are awake as well, moving soundlessly in order to not wake my partner. I give them a nod of thanks, then, when we are all packed, I pick her up out of the blanket and hold her against my chest, petting her back while she awakes.

She blushes slightly and I sense her embarrassment at oversleeping, but I shrug it off. "Do you want to go down in the backpack, or do you want to try the lobby again?" I ask her.

She replies in a determined voice. "Let me try the lobby again, please." So I zipped up my pack and set Angel on my shoulder, then, with Alex and Nicky at my side, we walked down to the lobby.

It was pretty busy, and I was surprised to see no less than 3 cops, along with Officer Jenny herself, hanging out in a corner of the lobby.

Nurse Joy walks by, whispering in my ear, "I invited them, they know the situation and I highly doubt anybody will try anything while they are here. They have all day and gladly agreed to stay and keep an eye on things. You can relax, knowing that they and several trainers here will back you up." She points to a dark haired woman who is conversing animatedly with her hands to Jenny. "Thats Katie Winters, she's a psychic type specialist. Word got around that you guys were here, so she volunteered to watch over you guys as well. I know she also wants to meet Angel though, if she doesn't mind. She placed in the top 4 competitors in the Unova League for the past 8 years, although she hasn't won the thing yet." I nod to her, shaking her hand before our group makes their way over to the officers. People definitely noticed Angel, the center quieted down and whispers broke out all over. Angel had a slight fear in her heart, I could tell, but she didn't complain or try to hide as we walked on, and she held her head high. I was immensely proud of her and planned to tell her at first chance.

As we approached, the officers stood at attention, along with Katie. Officer Jenny spoke up, addressing Angel first. "I thought I heard the rumors, but she sure as hell doesn't look timid to me. You've been practicing. Good for you!" She says, holding out a hand.

Angel regards it for a moment before standing up on my shoulder and returning the shake. I hear her words addressed to Jenny, but I'm sure every person could hear her. "I wouldn't call yesterday my best of days, and while I admit I hate crowds, I wanted to meet you, as well as the other officers and Katie. I figured I would give it a shot."

Jenny gives a small smile. "Admitting that you have places to work on improving is about the bravest thing you could do. It's good to meet you. I'm assuming you're Terry Collins, then?" She asks, turning her hard gaze on me. "You hit that man pretty damn hard, he didn't wake up for a few hours. I don't blame you, and I'm glad that you defended your Kirlia like that. No charges, kid."

I shake her hand and reply, "He earned it. But thanks for not fining me. I'm also traveling with my friend, Alex Gates, and his partner, Nicky," I say, motioning them forward. He shakes her hand, Nicky standing on Alex's head to do the same.

Jenny frowns slightly and turns her attention to the crowd. "I want all of you to know that if you mess with this group, you mess with me. If any of you try anything, I will personally throw you in a cell and melt the key." She paused to let the message sink in. I nodded slightly, putting on a stern expression as I faced the crowd. She continues. "Every single Pokemon Center and police station is being alerted of their travels, and security is being tightened after the news of yesterday's events." She glances at me and nods. "From what I've heard, Angel is the only known shiny Kirlia, and even though she hasn't evolved yet, there are no known shiny Gallade or Gardevoir either, or even Ralts. You all probably think we are overreacting, but some of the cases I've worked on considering unusually colored pokemon, especially females, would tell you otherwise... " She winces slightly, a haunted look on her face. As though the memories were physically painful. Then she recovers and continues. "I'm happy that you're traveling, security is finally getting ramped up because of it. Terry, unless it's a physical, mental, or emotional emergency, I would like to ask you to register at the local police station before you enter the pokemon center, so your presence is known by the authorities." She took one last sweeping glance over the center before sitting back down, along with her officers.

We sat down at the table next to them as the crowd went back to their business, no doubt considering the speech made by Officer Jenny. After we order breakfast, the dark haired woman, Katie Winters, walks over. She looks around her early 30s with a laid back feeling that most psychic trainers sometimes get, as though both her and her pokemon were sharing a content feeling. What interested me most were her eyes, though. They constantly changed color, just like mine did whenever I recently used my psychic powers.

She extends her hand, and I hesitate for a moment before I shake it. "I take it you're Katie? I'm also assuming you have developed psychokinetic powers, judging by your eyes." She smirks, then her eyes glow blue and all the tables rise into the air, much to the shock and surprise of the police and crowd. The tables spin around before landing in a pyramid.

Katie floats herself to the top, calling down as she does. "Not bad, kid. I was wondering when someone would finally see it. I developed them with my Alakazam, Charley." A bright flash fills the room, and when it dies down, an Alakazam is floating next to Katie.

I whistle. "Not bad, not bad. I have to admit though, I can do much better." I concentrate and every single board of the pokemon center comes apart, revealing the city outside. For a moment, the boards just hang there. Suddenly, they start spinning around, before stacking themselves into a pyramid similar to what Katie had made. When I finish, I'm on a tower several feet higher than Katie, whose mouth is open in amazement. "I suppose I should mention that I'm the most powerful underage psychic in the world, according to the Kalos University's last Global Strength Test. Nice try though," I call down to her, before returning the center to it's original form. Everyone is staring at me, mouths wide open.

Jenny shakes her head and recovers first. "Damn kid, not bad. Probably gives you a migraine though, doesn't it?"

Even as she said it, I winced slightly as a mental pain hit me behind my eyes. "Yeah, I can feel it trying to come on. Any more and I would be stuck in bed for the day. I plan to practice my endurance during my journey." I respond as I sit down. Angel jumps up to sit on the table next to me. She leans against my chest and smiles slightly.

"You can do better, Terry, come on." I groan slightly, knowing that she's right, but also knowing that my best friend just burned me in front of the whole crowd.

I chuckle. "Yeah, I could, but I like the idea of not being stuck in bed for a week." She starts laughing and I join in. Katie, after returning the tables to their regular spots, sits down next to us.

"Glad to meet you, Terry. Where in the hell did you get power like that?" She asks enthusiastically. I consider the answer. Part of me wouldn't mind talking, but not even my own parents know what happened that day…

 **-Memory, Midnight, Terry POV-**

The white light finished swirling, and Angel stood there, her new form looking slender and incredible in the moonlight. I was 11 years old at the time, and I was excited. Angel had evolved. The smile on her face grew and suddenly she started dancing. Spinning around the small field we were in. She danced for over an hour, while I watched from a fallen log. She was incredible. Finally she landed next to me, dizzily falling over and giggling at my feet.

"You looked like you were having fun, Angel. Congrats on evolving, my friend." I said to her, genuinely happy for her. I looked at my watch, which read half past one in the morning. Thankfully I didn't have school, it was a Saturday. I stooped down and picked up angel, setting her on my shoulder. She liked the perch, using her arms to hold my head for support. As we were walking back, the ground erupted.

A flaming ring surrounded us as four Houndoom blocked any possible exit, and two Fletchinder, wearing dark cloth over their wings, appeared in the trees. I was terrified. I dropped to my knees, yelling for my mom and holding Angel in my arms.

A man appeared out of the smoke, covered in black camouflage military style clothing. He raised his hand, and the Houndoom and Fletchinder backed off a bit.

The man spoke, his voice hard and menacing. "Hand over that Kirlia and you leave without a scratch. If you don't, I'll take her by force and have my pokemon tear you to pieces." I was scared, but the small part of my head that had not succumbed to fear heard what he said. My fear burned away, replaced by an overwhelming anger, I stood. The man looked shocked, and then all I remember is me screaming.

Angel showed me her memory, how the power had exploded across the field, boulders flying in all directions, the nearby river flowing up and twisting itself in knots. Me in the middle of it all, back on my knees, screaming while my eyes glowed like coals. The man fled for his life, with his pokemon on his heels. I blacked out afterwards, waking up to my mother's face in a blackened crater, the debris from the mental explosion all around me.

 **-Present Day, Terry POV-**

"I can remember it clearly, but even now I still have nights where it wakes me up in a cold sweat," I say apprehensively, not really wanting to answer.

She looks thoughtful. "I'm guessing you had a mental explosion while defending Angel here, didn't you?" I look up at her. "Angel showed me while you were thinking. I'm not surprised though, to be honest." I glance at Angel, who has a slight frown on her face, and our bond tells me that's she's concerned.

I smile at her. "I'm ok, don't worry. Just… Scared, although I don't want to admit it." Katie nods, and, seeing as I don't want to talk much, goes back to her conversation with Angel.

 _I'm glad the police are going to help us. Maybe things are finally looking up._ Alex motions to me that he is ready to leave. After thanking everyone and saying our goodbyes, we head back to Route 2 and continue on our journey.

 **(Author's Note: I rewrote Chapter IV to fix a couple of Grammar Issues related to multiple speakers in one chapter and a POV issue. If you guys see anything else, don't hesitate to let me know! Happy Reading! -Orthros)**


	6. Chapter V: The Trio

**-Terry POV,** **FP** **-**

"Come out, Angel, you can't hide in that pack all day!" I sigh.

Alex chuckles. "Let her stay in there, Terry. Stop being mean."

We are on the edge of Striaton City, where we are resting. I'm in the process of trying to get Angel to come out of the modified traveling backpack I made for her. I know she is afraid of crowds, but there aren't many people about and it would be good practice. She unzips the pack a little, and I can see her light blue hair, along with an orange eye and pale white skin of her face. She seems panic stricken.

Before she can protest, I speak up. "You did great this morning in the Pokemon center in Accumula! It was packed, and you held your head high. The streets offer much more room and there aren't even half the amount of people around…" I sigh as she closes the bag again. Through our bond, I probe her mind.

I never invade her thoughts like this, but I needed to know the full story. Her thoughts flowed over me like waves, and I could pluck each one down as I needed. I saw the earlier morning through Angels eyes, sense her terror as she finds no love from anyone except the officers, Katie Winters, and her friends. _She almost shut down our bond so I wouldn't know how scared she was…_ I feel her become aware of my mental presence, before a wave of energy lashes out from the pack, pushing me to the ground. I'm stunned.

I watch as Angel opens the bag, tears rolling down her face. She runs off, stopping behind a boulder about 50 feet away. I get to my feet. Alex is watching me, shocked. I don't meet his eyes. I mentally scan around for any presence near us, and find none.

"Tell the officers that Angel is distressed and I am dealing with it. There is no one near us. Afterwards, head to the Pokemon center and get us a room. I'll meet you there." My voice comes out strained.

Without waiting for a reply, I slowly grab the bag and walk to the rocks. "Can I talk to you? I ask quietly, not looking over out of respect. She hesitates for a moment, then agrees.

She's leaning against the rock, tears falling freely down her face. I settle down next to her, waiting for her to climb into my arms. We both know that Physical Reassurance would help with this, and sure enough, moments later she lays against my chest. I don't know how long we stay like that, but it's dusk when she finally speaks.

"I wanted to be strong, but I couldn't do it. So I hid…" I tighten my hold on her slightly, my other hand brushes a tear from her cheek.

"I know. Don't worry, we will work on it." I bring the bag over and without another word she climbs in, zipping it up around herself.

I walk back to the city, spotting the Pokemon center right away. As I come in, Nurse Joy looks up and nods to me. "Your friend, Alex, told me what happened. I planned to call the police if you didn't appear by midnight, although he told me not to worry. He's in room 12, on the upper floor near the back." I wave a hand in understanding and climb the stairs without a word.

Alex is standing outside the door when I get there. I start to talk, but he interrupts. "Don't explain. Just sleep. You look dead on your feet." I nod and walk in, he closes and locks the door after me. Angel is still awake, so I unzip the bag, then take off my shoes and shirt. I don't bother with my sweat pants, as I pull Angel gently out of the bag, along with a blanket. We lay on the unoccupied bed in the same position. Our bond cycles as she closes her eyes.

I absentmindedly stroke her hair while I think about our day. It's the first time she ever, in full awareness, struck me. The other time, I scared the shit out of her as a prank, she just didn't look before blasting. Her breath becomes deeper and rhythmic as she goes into sleep. After what feels like a long time, I do as well.

I wake up to Alex shaking my shoulder. He has an apologetic look on his face as he speaks. "Sorry about waking you, but the Striaton City Gym Leaders are here, if you want to challenge them now would be a great time, and they can deal with anyone that tries to make trouble." I nod slowly, then silently get up. Angel still on my chest, asleep.

"We'll be down in a few minutes. I need to talk to her…" Alex puts a hand on my shoulder, then heads down to the lobby, Nicky at his heels. Sitting back on the bed, I stroke Angel's hair, and after a few minutes she wakes up.

I speak first. "I take full blame for what happened last night. You had each and every right to do what you did, I was invading your privacy and while I had good reason, doing that without your permission was a sign of deepest disrespect. I'm sorry."

She nods, then gets out of my arms and starts stretching on the bed. She doesn't respond until she finishes, which takes several minutes. "I forgive you. Although, I should have wised up and told you what really went on there. I am sorry." I nod, letting the matter drop.

"Alex and Nicky are downstairs already. Apparently the gym leaders, leaders with an "s," are there, too. I think we should challenge them today. What about you? Wanna put that training to the test?"

Her determination flows through our bond like a tidal wave. "I know this sounds silly, but I don't want to go down in the backpack." I understand that she wants to look strong, but give her another offer.

"I could carry you. If you want. People will get a clear message that you can't be touched, and you could stand on my arms if you like." She nods at this, grateful that she doesn't have to be as high as last time, where everyone could see her.

We walk down, and in the shadow of the hallway exit, I hook my arms in a sort of monk fashion, gripping my elbows. Angel sits on my arms, with her legs dangling below her. We take a deep breath together, then walk in.

The center is surprisingly quiet, although there are many people around. I spot Alex talking to three people in waiters cloths, each with a prime color for their hair, and start heading over. Eyes begin turning our way, and I feel Angel stiffen. "Calm down, you're ruining your content look… See, they aren't coming closer." I whisper down at her. She relaxes, but closes her eyes. I don't stop her. If that's what it takes, that's fine. Alex sees me behind the waitresses.

"Hey, Terry, morning Angel. Meet the gym leaders, Chili, Cress, and their leader, Cilan. They specialize in Fire, Water, and Grass types, respectively." I'm a bit stunned as they turn around, eyes widening a bit at the sight of Angel.

"It's nice to meet you," I say hesitantly. "I would shake your hands but I'm a bit preoccupied. This is Angel, my partner."

Cilan shoots his brothers a quick look before replying. "It's nice to meet you. Let's sit down, shall we? The attention isn't doing her much good. Yeah, I can tell she's shy, I've spent enough time around pokemon to know that much," he adds at my surprised look. We sit at a nearby table.

"How does the gym work?" I ask. "Best two out of three?"

Cress responds."Usually, yes. Some choose to only take the badge if they beat all of us, it's their choice."

I nod firmly. "All three sounds great to me, when do we start?"

Chili speaks up. "We could head to the gym, or do it outside. We tend to stick to one challenge a day, give the pokemon a chance to rest. Shall we?"

We all stand and head out. Once outside, Cilan cups his hands together and yells, "Clear the square! We're starting a battle!" The effect is immediate, all the people move to the edge of the wide town center, leaving a large, square shaped area of play. A tree stands in the center, but other than that, the whole area is flat with paved cobbles.

 _Bullshit, not flat._ I think. It's not flat but almost, the cobbles forming the slightest uneven floor. Cilan stands on the opposite side of the makeshift arena, with Chili and Cress on either side.

"Who first, then?" Chili shouts at me. I mentally ask Angel her opinion.

"How about all three at once?" She asks, determination easily visible in her eyes.

 _She's cocky, I'll give her that._ I think. "I dunno. Would they even allow that? If they would, than what the hell, why not. We can show them how strong you are." I turn my gaze back to the trio. "How about we make this interesting? A three on one sounds great to us." The crowd looks shocked by our boldness, but to his credit, Cilan smiles.

"I thought you were ballsy, and I'm glad to say I was right. Cress? Chili? Let's show them what they're up against. Come on out!" They each throw a pokeball, and suddenly a Panpour, Pansage, and Pansear join us on the battlefield. I get a pokedex reading on each.

I speak up. "We're ready when you are!" A ref appears from the crowd, a red and green flag in each hand.

"The battle between Striaton City Gym Leaders Cress, Chili, and Cilan vs. Terry Collins, the challenger, is about to begin! This will be a three on one battle as requested by the challengers. There will be no substitutions, and the fight is over when one side is unable to battle. Battle, begin!"

"Use ember!" Chili shouts. Pansear lets loose a barrage of flaming embers, speeding at Angel.

"Use confusion to send the ember at Pansage!" I yell. Angels orange eyes glow blue and suddenly the embers are redirected at the grass type.

"No you don't! Pansage, dodge!" Cilan shouts.

At the same time, Cress says "Panpour, use water gun!" The stream of water flies at Angel, while Pansage is jumping through the trees.

"Angel, use protect! Split the embers into three streams and blast the tree!" I counter.

Angel concentrates harder and a greenish shield forms, deflecting the water gun. At the same time, Pansage falls to the ground, badly burned but still standing.

Cilan looks both mad and impressed. "No more games! Pansage! SolarBeam!"

"Tackle!"

"Water gun!"

 _Shit… Unless…_ "Angel, trip Pansear! Redirect the water gun to him!" I watch a tiny pebble move and Pansear steps on it, smashing hard into the ground. The water gun gets a mind of it's own and smashes down into him, knocking him out. Than Pansage fires his solar beam.

 _Oh I hope this works…_ "Angel, use protect and knock the beam into Panpour!" I watch, a big smile on my face, as the beam is reflected, with perfect aim I might add, into Panpour. The explosion is huge, dust filling the entire area. I cough, and when the smoke clears, Panpour is in a sizable crater, unconscious. Cress and Chili return their pokemon, than make their way into the Pokemon Center. Cilan whistles.

"Wow, Terry. That was petty impressive. Sh-" he stops speaking as I stumble, almost falling to the ground. I regain my footing and shake my head a couple times to clear the sudden, severely tired feeling that rolled over me. My eyes lock onto Angel, who is on one knee, breathing heavily. The amount of energy she used drained her so much that I doubt she could lift another pebble. I speak, trying to keep my voice as steady as I can. "Angel, can you stand? You did great, we can call it off if you want. I know how tired you are, but I'm leaving it up to you."

She stays still for a moment longer before, with what looks like a huge effort, stands up. "I… Can keep…"

What she could keep, I don't know, because at that moment she falls hard, face first, onto the cement, unconscious. _Shit!_ It's the only thing I can think of as I rush to her side and kneel next to her. "Angel the Kirlia is unable to battle! The winners are Pansage and Cilan!" I hear the ref say.

I pick her up and cradle her in my arms. Her cheek is scratched a bit by the fall, and I'm in the process of spraying a potion on it when Cilan speaks up, now a few feet away, respectively giving us space.

"That was incredible. Redirecting moves like that, and the counters you came up with so quickly. Pansage fainted seconds after she did, but the ref already called it. I consider it a draw." He holds out his hand. Resting in it is the Striaton City Trio Badge. "You may not have defeated all of us, but you did incredible nonetheless. You two earned it."

I take the badge and smile at him. "I enjoyed that battle, and Angel did too. Thanks! Let's head back to the center, I think some PR would work great right now."

As we enter the center, Cilan asks, "PR? What's that?" I consider the answer.

"A way to refresh and relax that works great for psychic types and their bonded trainers. It stands for Physical Reassurance. Have Alex explain it to you, this is important." I say, pointing out Alex, who grins. I walk to the couch by the window, grabbing the weighted blanket that Alex hands to me. I lay back with Angel on my chest, positioning her like usual, with her head on my heart. She snores softly while we lay there under the cover. Alex sits down nearby a few minutes later, after putting one of the PR description signs in front of us. I nod in greeting, with one hand stroking Angel from atop the cover. After about 20 minutes, give or take, she wakes.

"Hey there. Good timing for a nap, although you face planted pretty hard." I try to keep the mood light, she looks depressed about losing. "Don't look sad yet, I didn't finish. Pansage fainted moments after you did, the ref had made a quick call. Cilan considered it a draw and gave us the badge. You did absolutely amazing. I'm proud of you."

She looks at me, and I sense a combination of tiredness and pride. "Go back to sleep, I'll wake you up in an hour or two." She nods and lays down, going out faster than I could blink. I turn my gaze on Alex.

"You up for spending the rest of the day here? I hear Striaton has an amazing restaurant, run by the Trio themselves. We could have dinner there, and set out in the morning." He nods, and the plans are made. I pull out a book, and, with Angel sound asleep on my chest, relax and enjoy the peace.


	7. Chapter VI: Blood, Battles, and Bonds

**-9:44 PM, Terry POV,** **FP** **-**

A heavenly aroma assaulted us as we opened the doors to the Striaton City Gym, which doubled as a restaurant. A man with bright red hair and a waiter's outfit waved to us and our partners. "Glad you could make it! Group of four? Seat yourselves than, Cress will be with you in a moment." I waved to Chili as we weaved our way through tables to a booth by the left side wall.

As we sat down, Alex, Nicky, Angel and I marveled at the decor. The walls were a simple, light forest green, with gold trim ringed around to represent sunshine peaking through the leaves. The chairs and tables were shaped like leaves, with the legs fashioned like tree trunks. After we got comfortable, another waiter came up, this one with wavy blue hair. Alex noticed him first and shook his hand. "Hello, Cress. This place looks amazing! You all have style."

Cress chuckled as he handed menus to the people and pokemon he was serving. "I would take credit, but it was Clian's idea. We all came up with our own design for the place, then debated and agreed that this would be the most pleasing to the eye. I'll pass him your praise, though. Can I get you all started with drinks?"

A half hour of food preparation later, during which Cilan, a green haired man in a fancier outfit than his brothers, made a personal announcement that he would throw anyone who stared at Angels unusual coloring too much out of the building without warning, the group was eating their meals. I was enjoying the moment so much, I almost doubted that it would last long. For us, times like this never did.

Sadly, that thought wasn't far off as a phone call came in on the buildings line. Cress answered, and it was his shout of terror and anger that signaled the end of the fun. "THEIR DOING WHAT?!"

The entire restaurant quieted so fast it was like someone had pushed the mute button on a TV. Cress stood there for a moment looking dumbstruck, before he waved his hand at Chili and Cilan, motioning for them to come over. Although he whispered, his animated figure and mood, compared to his usually laid back self, created a feeling of nervousness that flew through the crowd. Suddenly the bright haired gym leaders broke their huddle. Chili and Cress grabbed their jackets and pokeballs and ran out the door. Meanwhile, Cilan addressed the crowd.

"It seems as an organization known as "Team Plasma" is attempting to steal important information, as well as several pokemon, from the Dream Yard. The police are there as we speak, but are being met with extreme resistance. That was Officer Jenny requesting that my brothers and I assist in the rescue." He turned to the table that Alex and I sat at. "She also asked if you would help as well, if you wouldn't mind. They have several pokemon taken hostage inside the broken down facility, and threaten further harm to them if anyone tries to get farther in than the police front lines." Alex and I turn our heads in unison partners, and we exchange nods.

"Alright then. Lets get to the Dream Yard, the sooner the better," Cilan finishes. Without further ado, the group ran outside and followed the other two leaders, whose hair was just visible far ahead of them.

Breathing heavily, the group arrived by several police cars whose lights were flashing. Dozens of officers in S.W.A.T team style armor watched the front line from behind cover of the cars, some wielding pistols, others with pokeballs and pokemon like Growlithe nearby. Officer Jenny herself was pouring over a map that upon closer inspection looked dotted with blood.

Jenny looks up and notices us, specifically me. She follows my line of sight and gets the idea. "Team Plasma blew up the facility, a lot of normal routes into the building are blocked. A Pokmon Ranger flew on a Staraptor and got us these images. She's currently in the hospital tent with a nastily broken Styler arm after the Plasma Grunt's pokemon fired upon Staraptor, she fell about 20 feet. She'll live."

I nodded numbly and voiced the question that the entire group were considering. "Why us?" Jenny holds her hand up for silence.

"I've got a plan, but your all not going to like it. This map shows almost no entrances. Thats where Nicky and Angel come in. They can teleport officers in, we can surprise the grunts and get the pokemon out, hopefully with minimal injuries. Your pokemon can teleport us back, and then the police can stage a full scale raid without the threat of harm to the pokemon." She fixes her gaze on the three leaders. "You all can help lead the raid, we will need every hand we can get. Alright then, wait for my call."

Alex and I, along with our Kirlia partners on our shoulders, followed Officer Jenny through the crowd of police, along with a member of the cops as requested by Jenny. When we finally get back to a secluded area near the rear of the police line, there are a total of 5 officers, not including Officer Jenny, two accompanied by Growlithe, the other three, along with Jenny, with pistols in their hands. All six look grim but determined.

The police leader addresses her troops. "All right, all of you grab onto an arm of either of these kids. When we teleport in, form a defensive ring around them and the hostage pokemon. Shoot to wound and disable. Growlithe, make sure the hostages know the plan immediately, we need to be in and out as fast as possible. Angel and Nicky, back off and don't attack unless you're absolutely sure you will still have enough energy to teleport. Terry and Alex, carry as many pokemon as you can. Any questions?" At the shaking of heads among the group, Jenny nods back. She cocks her pistol, then puts her hand gently on Angel's shoulder. "All right then. Lets save those Pokemon." A white light envelops the group as Angel and Nicky use their moves.

All at once, the team is no longer in the police line but in a broken stone building, behind a ton of men and women in Team Plasma uniforms. The three cops with pistols immediately roll behind cover near the hostage group of pokemon, mainly consisting of Lillipup and Patrat, but a Munna is within the group as well. The Growlithe blow twin streams of fire, creating a ring of flames that stops the advance made by Team Plasma, then hop behind cover as well. Jenny pushes the boys and their partners towards the pokemon, who begin piling on top of them. Things start going wrong there. As the officers are reloading, one of them gets shot in the shoulder. He screams, blood pouring down his chest as he gets forced to the ground. The Growlithe reinforce the flaming wall, and Jenny screams in our ears. "GET US OUT!" They all teleport to safety.

Reappearing with the pokemon under police cover, Jenny screams, "THE HOSTAGES ARE SECURE! GO!" Alex highfives Nicky, who is wobbly with exhaustion. He then turns to me to congratulate me, but screams instead.

I'm hurt, a bullet wound oozing blood my leg. It burns like the devil himself ripped open my calf, but it doesn't stop me from dragging myself over to Angel. She got at least two bullets in the gut and is barely breathing, her chest rising and falling so slowly and slightly that it's hard to tell if she was dead already or not. I reach her as Jenny yells into her radio for paramedics. Cradling her head in my lap, I softly slap her cheek with one hand, my other becoming slick with blood as I put pressure on her wound with my sleeve. Tears pour down my face as her eyes focus slightly.

I lean down and kiss her forehead, whispering softly, "You're fine, you're gonna be fine. I'm not going to lose you…" Suddenly I'm pushed aside as the paramedics surround Angel, wrapping her middle before putting her on a stretcher and flying back to their ambulance. All I can do is watch, numb from blood loss. I'm shoved to the ground suddenly, screaming bloody murder from the alcohol cleaning my bullet wound. As this happens, I feel the psychic presence that I've known for the last 10 years disappear from my mind. Fighting to stay awake, I watch as several plasma grunts are handcuffed at gunpoint. Then darkness consumes my vision and blissful unconsciousness follows suit.

 **-Three Days Later, 5:56 PM, Terry POV-**

"Terry…?" Can you…me?" Voices call to me as I lays in darkness, sounding like they are coming from a soft radio. Opening my eyes, shapes appear, none of them defined. I moan, blinking a couple times. The shapes come into focus.

Alex is leaning over me, breaking into a grin. "He's awake!" he shouts to a doctor, who in turn does a quick physical on me. Seeming satisfied, the doctor leaves the room.

I focus on Alex and Nicky. "Why do I feel like my leg went through an overachieving blender…?" Alex grimaces before replying.

"To be honest, that's about what happened. Your leg got shredded by rifle fire. Calm down." He adds as I try to get up, a worried look crossing my face. "Angel is alive. She took 3 bullets to the stomach and is still out cold, they have her on a powerful painkiller and expect her to wake up fully sometime in the next few days. You were out for about 3 days." He rolls a wheelchair over and smiles to me. "Doc said you could move about as long as you're in this. Your dad and his partner Blade arrived this morning, and their resting in Angel's room to watch over her while you were out. Let's go see them."

As he pushes me down the hall, with Nicky sitting on my head, I feel nervous. Angel got hurt and it's my fault, I'm not sure how father and Blade will react. They see us through a window and walk out to meet us. We stare at each other for a moment, then father hugs me. "I know you think it's your fault. It's not. You and Angel did incredible, and Angel will survive the injuries." He backs off and then I'm surprised as Blade gets down on one knee to be level with me. He takes my hand and shakes it firmly. I can tell that he's glad I tried to keep her safe, and since he's not the mushy type this is his way of showing gratitude. I nod and relax a little. We head back into Angel's room.

As we settle, I eye Angel. She is in a small bed with a tube in her arm. She looks peaceful. Then I remember what happened and tear my sight away to focus on my father. "Dad, when she was being taken away by the paramedics, I felt her presence leave my head. Is she ok…? Are we ok?"

Dad looks concerned, but Alex speaks up. "From what I heard, one of the paramedics drugged Angel while she was on the stretcher, to relieve her of the pain and so she would stop struggling. Said paramedic thinks he OD'ed Angel just slightly. I bounced the info off Katie Winters. She thinks it could interfere with a psychic bond. You should make sure you're here when she wakes up, establish that bond fully before the doctors do any touching."

I nod, and dad replies. "Blade and I can take care of that, I'll run the plan by Nurse Joy so she can get any other plans overridden. We can head over there now." He and Blade nod to us, then leave the room.

Alex sits in the chair next to my wheelchair and rubs his face. "I assume you're going to say that you want to sleep in here now and the doctors won't stop you. I also think you're extremely hungry, judging by the howling of your midsection." I nod to both and grin. "All right then, I'll get you something and have the head doctor assigned to you and Angel notified of the plan."

He is at the door and about to head out when I speak. "Alex… Thank you."

He turns, looks me in the eye and nods, a serious expression on his face. Then he and Nicky head out as well.


	8. Chapter VII: Preschool Promises

**-Terry POV,** **FP** **-**

"Ugh, I'm so bored!" I moaned. I had been forced to stay in the hospital for two weeks now while Angel and I recovered from our injuries. Driven to the edge of insanity by endless jabbering from the nurses, needles poking my skin constantly for blood draws and, worst of all, restricted to my bed on some of the most beautiful days Unova had seen in quite some time. Angel, laying next to me on a similar bed, telepathically agreed with me. Alex, sitting on a chair and reading a novel between us, just grins and shakes his head. I scowl and focus my eyes on the 10 year old.

"You would be annoyed too, so don't start laughing…" I start, but Alex just punches me lightly in the shoulder. We look at each other and then I relax, grinning as well.

Alex replies, chuckling. "Well at least we know the pair of you are being released tomorrow, and the weather is expected to stay great for another couple of weeks. Besides, you needed practice on crutches. Don't expect me to push you everywhere, there's no way in hell I'm sinking that low."

I laugh, and so does Alex. Nicky jumps up on Angel's bed, clutching what looks like a DVD player in his hands. "Cool, Nicky! You two can watch a movie while Terry and I grab dinner for us," Alex says. Nicky nods, smiling.

"All right than, Alex. Give me a hand here, please," I say. I pull away the covers, revealing my bulky as hell cast on my leg. After positioning myself in my wheelchair, Alex undid my brakes and pushed out the door and down the hall, toward the Pokemon Center's extended stay kitchen area.

\- Later that night -

As the doctors left the room, grumbling as usual about letting the patients sleep not only in the same room, but with their pokemon as well, (but also knowing that Nurse Joy would beat them into the ground if they denied the privilege) I closed my eyes. Angel was squirming a bit, her painkillers hadn't quite kicked in yet and, although her wounds had healed extremely well, she was still going to be severely uncomfortable for a while and won't be able to battle for a week, at least. I moved my arms, my left hand taking hers and squeezing it gently, while my other hand massaged her forehead.

Keeping quiet, as Alex and Nicky were asleep nearby, I whispered in her ear. "I know it hurts, but you need to stop squirming. The medicine will start working soon, but if you move around too much the doctors will think you are staying up late purposefully. They will make you sleep in a different room."

Her body stills, although her emotions do nothing but. It's the first time in a while that Physical Reassurance hasn't worked immediately, at least a little. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, she's in severe pain. So instead I rub her forehead, letting my hands flow rhythmically through her light blue hair, kneading her orange horns. After a few minutes, she starts to speak. Unfortunately, the medicine kicks in and she sighs softly before her mental voice tapers off and she goes into dreamland. After moving her just slightly to assure that she wouldn't fall off my chest, I do as well.

\- Morning -

I wake, refreshed and ready to go. Angel is already up, along with another female doctor, who is doing a physical on her. The doctors allowed Angel to stay with me on the condition that I give them privacy no matter what, so I close my eyes and speak. "I'm awake, but I'll keep my eyes closed while you finish up." The doctor pats my arm in response.

"I can't wait to leave. The nurse is just doing a quick physical, and she has a package of medicine for me. She is going to give it to you after you get checked." Angel's voice, groggy but happy, sounds in my head.

I nod, eyes still closed, then reply. "That sounds good to me." I address the nurse. "Mam, since I can't see your expression, I assume you're thinking that I've gone crazy. I promise I haven't. Angel was telepathically conversing with me, and I was responding out loud as it's easier for both of us to understand. I haven't quite grasped mental replies, and I've only gotten it right a few times. Usually it sound similar to a radio station filled with interference. She was explaining the plan that you told her about." The lady pats my arm once again, which I take as a response. A few minutes later, she speaks.

"You can look now, your doc will be here in a moment. Your friends Alex and Nicky are outside with your parents. You will be allowed to leave in a few minutes." I open my eyes and sit up.

Angel sits in my lap while my doctor does his check up. After he finishes, he speaks. "You seem to be doing ok. I took the liberty of adding a storage slot on your pack for your crutches, so you have a place to keep them when you're not using them." He hands me a box, then speaks again. "Angel here is to have one of these every night before bed, and one in the morning. She has already taken her morning dose for today. I've put a second box in your front pocket on your bag as well. The pair should last a couple of months. When you run out, head to the nearest Pokemon Center and give the assistant there your Trainer Card. He or She can get you a refill on the meds if needed. She should be taking those constantly for at least four months. If you have any questions or concerns, just ask any Nurse Joy. Good luck on your journey, kid."

We exchange nods and then he wheels me out into the lobby. I grab my bag from him and sling it over my shoulders. Whispers break out about Angel on my shoulder, as well as the cast on my leg. I ignore them, as does Angel, who disappears into my pack moments later. Balancing on my crutches, I head over to one of the storage computers, I retrieve Patrat's pokeball. Then, crutches and all, I head outside to greet my friends and family.

My mother and father hug me, while Blade, father's partner Gallade, wincing slightly, shakes my hand. "He took a rather nasty fall during training yesterday, I think he was distracted." Father says in response to my questioning look at Blade. I nod, then turn to Alex.

"Alright, We are gonna head out now. Have fun and be safe, guys." Mom and dad return the farewell, and then we take our leave. After a small debate, we decide to head back to route 2 so I can train Patrat. When we get to the route, I take out it's pokeball. "Come on out!" I say, throwing the pokeball high in the air. When it reaches it's peak, the ball opens. A flash of white light follows, and Patrat appears. I stow it's pokeball and crouch in front of it.

We regard each other for a moment, then I speak. "Hello there. It's great to meet you. I can see it in your eyes, you feel mad that Angel beat you and you want to get stronger. We are on a journey to get stronger as well. Will you join us?" It narrows its eyes for a moment, as if trying to understand the level of honesty behind my words, staring deep into my soul. Than it nods. I smile. "Great, welcome to the team! Would you like a name?" At its nod, I reply. "How about Ace?" The pokemon nods once again and the naming is complete.

We spent four extra days on route Two, wanting to get some training in for Ace, as well as a lillipup that joined Alex, now named Kelly. During their third day, Alex admitted that he actually didn't want to get the badges. "Sure, we'll get stronger, but I want to become a professor, not a master." So, rather than staying longer to allow Alex to challenge the Striaton Gym, we headed on to route Three, where we are now.

"Ace, dodge and use scratch!" I shouted. Ace ducked to his right as Kelly barreled past him, then slashed his paw over her back. The Lillipup stumbled and rolled headlong into a tree, where she collapsed. Ace walked back to his trainer, who smiled, balancing on one crutch as he raised the other over his head in victory. "Great job Ace! You too, Kelly, you and Alex did great, that Take Down of yours is really coming along!"

Alex smiled as he picked up the Lillipup in his arms. She awoke, whimpering and licking his cheek. Chuckling, Alex praised her as well. He turned his attention on Ace and myself. "That was really fun. Ace, your speed is off the charts. Don't worry though, we'll have you next time!"

We were on route Three, visiting the Pokemon Daycare and preschool next door. At a request from the teachers and kids, Ace and Kelly had put their training to the test in a battle. Nicky and Angel sat out, Nicky had a lot more practice and would have steamrolled Ace, and Angel was still recovering from her injuries. The two of them sat in the lower branches of a tree, out of reach of grabby preschooler hands and watched from there. As the battle finished, the pair of Kirlia teleported to the shoulders of their partners. Angel stumbled a bit on the landing, wincing as her wound smacked against my shoulder.

Sensing her distress, I gently but casually lifted Angel off my shoulder, cradling her against my chest. One look told me that the teachers saw through the play off though, so I made a quick plan. "All right, Ace, Kelly, why don't you go play with the kids while we fix some food?" The pokemon, who had also noticed Angel's pain, got the idea and bounded off, with the kids in their wake, to play tag. I turned to the principal, who spoke.

"What happened? She didn't battle, and although you played it off well, I saw her face. Explain." I nodded as Alex and I sat down on a bench. The principal, Mr. Reddings, and teacher, Mrs. Davis, sat next to us. After positioning Angel on my lap, with her head over my heart, I closed my eyes and recounted the gunfight at the Dreamyard.

"We set out about four days ago to train up Ace and Kelly, after recovering in the Pokemon Center for a little over two weeks. So, here we are." I finished. For a moment, it was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop for miles away. Mrs. Davis wiped her eyes.

"I'm glad you all made it out in one piece. Team Plasma is the reason that the preschool does not have any pokemon anymore, so I'm glad you guys were able to stop them from causing further injuries. Yes, they invaded the preschool and took several pokemon away." She added at the looks on Alex's and my faces. "The pokemon refused to go and defended themselves at first, but then one of the grunts grabbed Justin Bellings." She points over to a child that was laying under a nearby tree, staring at the ground. The boy had a conflicted expression on his face, as if his blue eyes were trying to wage war with one another. I hadn't seen him watching the battle, nor had I seen him move at all. After a moment I tore my gaze away as Mrs. Davis continues.

"The grunt grabbed him and held a knife to his throat, threatened to kill him if the pokemon didn't comply. He used to be so happy and playful, but he was intelligent, too. He knew what was going on. When the pokemon went with the grunts, he was heart broken. It's been almost a week and all he does now is lay under that tree… Where are you going?" She asks as I suddenly stand, then make my way over to the tree.

The boy doesn't move as I sit down next to him, but as I settle, he speaks. "The pokemon you're holding against your chest is a different color from the other boys' one, even though they look the same…" It didn't sound like a question to me, so I replied.

"Yeah, she is a different color. Something at birth, I think." The boy looks up at this, his facing forming a serious expression, especially for a younger child.

"You knew I wasn't asking a question…" I nodded at this, and stayed silent.

After a few minutes, Justin speaks again. "Cally and Roller got taken from the school. They loved me, and left for my safety. The grown-ups think that because I'm little, I don't understand what they did, what their going through…" He cuts off as I move Angel so I can lift the boy into my lap. My eyes glow blue, and suddenly we aren't sitting under a tree. Instead, we are sitting on a log, next to a younger version of myself. The boy's eyes widen, but I put a finger to my lips and point to the clearing in front of us. Angel is in the process of evolution, and as she finishes, she starts dancing. I speed up this part, stopping as we are walking out of the clearing under the moonlight. The Houndoom appear, forming a ring of fire around my memory self. The boy watches, saying nothing as the snatcher appears out of the smoke, demanding me to give Angel over. We continue to watch as my body and eyes glow red, before the mental explosion hits and I cover his eyes and dim my my young voice screaming, as everything descends into chaos. Suddenly we are back under the tree, the teachers and students watching us.

The boy looks into my eyes, then starts sobbing into my shoulder. I rock him back and forth, waiting for him to stop. When he does, I stand him up, and get on one knee infront of him.

I speak. "Some people don't understand, because they haven't gone through the heartbreak you and I did. When Team Plasma came, you were too young to fight. You didn't know what to do. Your friends sacrificed themselves to torment at the hands of Team Plasma to protect you. When that snatcher came for Angel, I fought out of anger and love. You would join me if you could, but you cannot. So I ask you this. Will you let me fight for you, trust me to safely return those pokemon who survived Team Plasma's horrible work so far, and avenge those who didn't?" He looks into my eyes, and I can sense his torment cease. He nods. I pat his shoulder, then reply, speaking up to the whole group. "Team Plasma has wronged both you and I, and we won't stand for it. I will return those pokemon to this school." I focus on Justin. "Cally and Roller will hug you sometime soon. I swear it."

I squeeze his shoulders slightly, and, standing, turn to the teachers. "I meant every word." They just nod. Then Alex walks up to me. His eyes bore into me, such a serious expression, strainingl to understand.

Then he holds out his hand. I grasp it. "I will be behind you every step of the way. Team Plasma won't know what hit them!" The kids cheer as we head down the road, continuing on our journey.

 **-That Night, Terry POV-**

We camp out near the lake, a few hours walk from Nacrene City. As we lay in our separate tents, I reflect upon the day. _I meant every word…_ I look at Angel, who, after taking her medication, sleeps peacefully next to me.

I whisper quietly. "I will avenge every pokemon and person wronged by Team Plasma. I swear it."

I meant every single word.


	9. Chapter VIII: Allied Through Horror(Fix)

**Note: First Multi-Part chapter. Huge thanks to Jphyper for helping me with a grammatical error he found concerning multiple speakers in paragraphs, it should be much easier to know who is talking at what time now. If anyone else notices any more spelling and/or grammer mistakes in the future, please let me know! Thanks! -Orthros**

=== PART I: A Potential Ally ===

 **-Terry POV,** **FP** **-**

"Ace, duck!" I yelled.

Ace slams into the cobbles as a thunderbolt flies over him, crashing into the ground nearby. The Bolts creator, Shinx, growls in annoyance. It's trainer, Callen, on the other hand, smiles. "Now, Shinx! Bite!"

Shinx bears its fangs and runs at Ace, but I counter. "Ace, Quick Attack!" Faster than the eye could follow, Ace jumped up and smashed into the Shinx, sending it crashing into the ground. "Finish it with tackle!" Ace slams into the Shinx once more, and next time it hits the ground, it doesn't try to get up. Callen walks over to the Shinx, who woke as he crouched next to it.

"You did great, Shinx. Take a long rest." He returns Shinx to it's pokeball and returns his gaze to me, as I crouch down to pet Ace somewhat awkwardly through my crutches. "You two are incredible, but mark my words, Shinx and I will destroy you next time."

I smile and shake hands with Callen. "I wouldn't have it any other way," I reply. We were standing outside the Nacrene Museum, after a bit of trashtalk from both sides had provoked a fun but challenging and entertaining battle. Alex and Nicky, along with Angel, had gone on to the Pokemon Center to get healed. As the crowd that had gathered to watch cheered and dispersed, I returned Ace to his pokeball. I waved my hand, beckoning to the 13 year old to walk with me, before setting off in the direction of the Pokemon Center.

Inside the Pokemon Center, Callen and I walked to the counter to hand over Ace and Shinx to Nurse Joy. After grabbing a meal apiece from the Centers' kitchen, I spoke to Callen. "Why don't you hang with me? I'm sure my buddy Alex would want to meet you, and the more the merrier, right?" At Callens nod, we headed to the back of the Center, towards the room allowed to Alex and I When I tried the door, however, it was locked. I knocked, muttering distractedly to myself. "Good, he took precautions." Ignoring Callens confused look, I nodded to Alex and introduced Callen to him.

As the three of us settled on the couches, Nicky came running up to Alex. After telepathically conversing for a moment, Nicky teleports onto Alex's head to shake hands with Callen.

Alex turns to me. "Angel is doing alright, although further travel is probably a bad idea. As for battling the Gym, the leader's name is Lenora. She's a Normal-Type Specialist. We should wait a couple days for your challenge though, I doubt Angel could go very far right now."

"I agree," I respond, nodding. I walked into a corner of the room, where my backpack was. Moving it out of the way, I discovered Angel sleeping on her blanket, a book titled "The History and Hells of Unova," laying beside her. Callens eyes widened, but Alex put a finger to his lips. I gently lifted the Kirlia and cradled her on my chest, moving back over to the couch. As I was sitting down, she awoke, rubbing her eyes.

While I stroked Angel's head, I spoke quietly to Callen. "This is Angel, my partner. Yes, she's shiny, no, there aren't any other shiny Kirlia in the world, at least known ones, and I would prefer if you keep quiet about it, we have enough on our plate with Team Plasma, we don't need any trouble with thieves." Callen nods.

"It's great to meet you, Angel," says Callen. He turns his gaze on Alex. "What you were saying earlier… Is she injured too?" Alex nods, before taking a seat and beckoning for Callen to do the same. When the pair had made themselves comfortable, Alex explained the events at the Dreamyard.

Callen was shaking his head, looking dumbstruck. "I'm glad you guys survived. I ran into trouble with them as well. They stole several pokemon fossils from the museum. Shinx and I tried to stop them, but we would be dead right now if Lenora hadn't saved us… Even so, they still got away with several. Rumor has it they are hiding in Wellspring Cave, but no one knows for sure." Callen sighed, muffled slightly by his hands rubbing his face. "I don't want to run across them again, I know that for sure. Their brutal."

Alex and I just nodded, the mood had become rather unpleasant after Callen's story. And yet, as I sat on the couch, Angel laying peacefully in my arms, a spark ignited in my heart. Emotion caught fire in my mind, fierce flames begging for a chance at revenge. The small part of my brain that tried to rally with caution at the possibility of fighting a cruel, criminal organization in a dark, unfamiliar cave argued that it wasn't the most promising of ideas. Then my thoughts flashed back to Justin Bellings. Hatred for the cruelty forced upon the child clawed at my insides like boiling acid. Angel looked up at me and spoke. The words she said would change my life forever.

"We should help those pokemon, Terry. Team Plasma won't act nicely to the wild ones." She says softly.

I looked over at Alex, and for a moment the younger boy looked slightly intimidated by the expression that must have been plastered on my face. The shock lasted only a moment before Alex matched the intensity of the stare, and although no words were spoken, we both knew that we would do whatever it took to save the Pokemon and Fossils in Wellspring Cave. The pair of us snapped out of our shock when Callen spoke.

"I may be really bad when it comes to reading people's expressions, but something tells me you two want to check out Wellspring Cave. Like I said, I don't want to go back there again. But the pokemon are in danger, and considering you two are going to go either way, I might as well lend a hand. I used to explore the caves all the time, I know them better then the back of my hand." The trio nodded, then packed up and headed out.

=== Part II: Disappointments and Disguises ===

 **-Terry POV-**

After picking up Ace and Shinx from Nurse Joy, the three of us headed out of town, backtracking the route that Alex and I had taken to Nacrene. Soon enough, we reached a fork in the road, one of which headed to the Pokemon Daycare, the other wound deeper into the forest, where a cave could be seen far ahead.

Crawling through the underbrush, the three of us (Nicky, Ace, and Shinx in their pokeballs, Angel in the backpack,) snuck up on the entrance to the cave. We came to a halt, watching the entrance, about 30 feet away. With the silence came the slight murmur of voices, echoing out of the mouth of the cave. Suddenly two people in Plasma uniforms came out of the exit, carrying a box with a similar length to that of a coffin. A glass display case.

Inside was a skeleton similar in shape to Kabutops. Gears almost visibly spinning in my mind, I whispered softly. "Stay here, I have an idea. Angel, you ready?" She popped her head out of the pack as I got up and, after shortening my crutches, crouched low, following the Plasma grunts through a small, almost invisible path leading off to the left side of Wellspring Cave. The forest came to a sudden end, where a helicopter stood idling, awaiting it's apparent cargo for transport. The grunts loaded the case onto the chopper, but before they could come back and discover us hiding on the very edge of the clearing, Angel acted.

Both of the grunts were slammed into the waist high grass, practically disappearing into the tangles of green brushes. At the same time, their eyes were forced closed, their hands and legs clamped together, and their mouths sealed shut by an unseen force. Angels telekinetic attack had gone perfectly. Silent, unable to move at all, unable to see, and probably very terrified, They were pulled back to our hiding spot.

I wasted no time and had no mercy, smashing both of their heads together with a large amount of force several times, until both of the grunts slumped down, unconscious. After quickly declothing both the men down to their undergarments, I stuffed the contents into my pack, then raced back to Alex and Callen, Angel hanging onto my shoulder.

"Hey guys, I'm back. I got the uniforms from those grunts, and I doubt they will wake up anytime soon… Nasty bruises, I admit." I spoke in quiet but satisfied tones as I dumped the clothes on the ground. "Callen and I can go in, and Alex can get Officer Jenny over here."

Alex looked nervous for a moment, replying. "I don't know, I would feel better if we did it all or none… Nonetheless, you guys know what you're doing. Just play it safe. We'll be back soon." They exchanged nods before Alex slinked off into the forest, and as Callen and I, reclothed in Plasma Uniforms, were approaching the entrance to the Cave, a slight flash of light went off, signaling Alex and Nicky teleporting. Callen and I looked at each other.

"You ready for this?" Callen asked nervously. I almost wanted to laugh, it felt like a scene in every single action spy movie I had ever watched.

"No… Let's do it."

 **Note: I almost made that last sentence into a re quote from 9/11. I'm just being honest, sorry to anyone I offend with this note. I want to say now that I don't encourage or support Bullying, Suicidal Thoughts or Actions, or Terrorism in any way, shape, or form. I'm simply saying this because some of the scenes in the future of will be very graphic and traumatizing for the characters of this story. The idea is that the world isn't the bright and beautiful place the regular Pokemon TV Show makes it out to be. Team Plasma is much more cruel in my version of the story. Emotional and Mental strain between relationships of characters may seem overwhelming at times. The going of this story is slow, I know. Trust me when I say it will all work out in the end. Thanks, and apologies in advance for anyone that I offend. -Orthros**

=== PART III: Hell on Earth ===

 **-Terry POV**

Things didn't go wrong at first, at least. Or so it seemed. The hoods of the uniforms covered our youthful heads as we walked through the cavern. My crutches clanged loudly on the stone floor. Wellspring Cave had, or so Callen recalled from memory, been created after rainwater corroded out the area and made a stream through the small hill.

Hoping my cover story for the crutches would work, Callen and I walked up to the person who seemed to be the leader and asked for orders. "Took a fall in our base out west. The boss said I could come down here, he will send more information tonight," I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.

The man raised his eyebrow but told them to corral the wild pokemon into a different area of the cave so they wouldn't interfere nonetheless. "Team Plasma is ruthless, but I would rather have less felonies on my plate incase things go south, you know what I mean?" The leader laughed as we ran about, collecting the pokemon.

Luckily Angel had agreed to go into her pokeball temporarily, so she wouldn't be spotted. She telepathically talked to the wild pokemon, assuring them that Callen and I wouldn't hurt them, but for them to make it look convincing that they wanted to get away. After about forty minutes, all the pokemon were collected and moved outside the cave.

It all went wrong when one of my Pokeballs fell off my belt. A Roggenrola pounced on it before I could get it hidden again. The burst of red light filled the cave, and every eye turned simultaneously as the pokeball rocked once, than dinged a successful capture. All at once, hands grabbed at us from all sides, tearing the disguises off and revealing our shirts and jeans underneath. Before any further harm could be done, Angel forced herself out of her pokeball and shot off a telekinetic blast, pushing everyone away from the us. Callen quickly let Shinx out, but things didn't look good. The grunts quickly regrouped, forming a wide but tight ring around the our group, blocking any escape. As fast as it started, everything stopped. The silence was eerie, the calm before the storm.

A voice called out, ringing loudly around the cavern. "I thought you two looked young. You're the trainer that Lenora saved earlier, aren't you?" The leader eyed Callen with a wicked smile. Then his gaze shifted onto me. "And you were in the dreamyard! Damnit, I was hoping that Kirlia didn't live. One more bullet would have done it. No matter. I'll finish what I started."

I was frantic, trying to find a way out of the mess I had gotten Callen and myself into. As the grunts were raising their guns, I suddenly saw it. A thick gas line. Close by, several electric heaters stood. I quickly had Angel relay the plan to Callen, while I strained to keep a straight face.

The leader spoke once again. "All right kid, all the supervillains do it so I will, too. Any last words?"

I couldn't do it, I laughed, doubling over at the irony of it all. Composing myself a few moments later, I looked back at the leader, a look of mock innocence on my face.

"Yeah, just a couple. First of all, this cave is going to be blown to bits. Secondly, isn't the 'any last words' line what every super villain says right before he or she is defeated by a surprise attack?"

As the leader hesitated for a moment, I yelled. "CALLEN, NOW!"

"Shinx! Use ThunderBolt!"

"Angel! Protect!"

The cavern was suddenly rocked with explosions as Shinx fired off a thunderbolt, smashing the heaters. The explosion destroyed the fuel line, creating another massive fireball that burned everything it touched. The air was filled with horrible screams of agony as all the Grunts were burned alive. And through it all, Angel, eyes closed tightly to avoid the horror, kept up the Protect shield. Callen, Shinx and I closed our eyes as well, but it did nothing to shut out the noise. Explosions, murder, tortured screams, begging, crying for it to stop. Then it did.

As quickly as it had started, it stopped. the smoke cleared, leaving nothing but the charred remains of those not within the circle. Keeping their eyes closed, trying not to breathe in the smoke and ashes and death, we gathered around Angel, and teleported to safety.

 **-Third Person (Omniscient)-**

The group had reappeared surrounded by officers, who bombarded them with questions. Officer Jenny forced them to back off. She took a moment to study the faces of the trainers and pokemon. As if she could see it in their eyes, what truly awful things happened in that cave, she led them to a police car without a word, taking them to the Pokemon Center and getting them a room. The group laid on the bed and couches, to shocked to say anything. Officer Jenny just spoke sadly to them from the door. "Rest up, I'll need to question you all tomorrow. Good night."

No one said a word, the silence going on long into the night. Rest was hard to come by, riddled with nightmares. In the morning, Terry recounted the scenes in the cave. His voice sounded strained, like he was on the verge of losing it. Officer Jenny shut him up for a moment, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok, kid?"

Terry shook his head. "Angel was horrified, and I am too. Sometimes I wish we didn't have such a powerful bond… We amplify each other's emotions, both good and bad…" Jenny nodded, then sent the boy back to the room. Alex was there as well, along with Callen.

"I wonder if there's a Pokemon move that will let you permanently forget something…" Callen wondered aloud, sadly. Terry and Alex agreed, the idea sounded nice. The rest of the day seemed to fly by, even though they did nothing but read books in the room. That night, Terry called his parents. They had seen the news and were worried, but they did their best to cheer him up. Callen and Alex had similar situations, and, feeling slightly better, went to bed.

Terry laid awake in his room, doing some much needed PR with Angel. Sleep would come eventually, but he mulled over the events, the horrors of the last couple of days. His father had a similar start, he said, all the bad stuff at the beginning.

"A journey will have it's ups and downs, but the bond you get with your pokemon is more than worth it. Good luck, kiddo."

As the gentle hands of sleep took hold, Terry wondered, _Why do I feel that this is just the beginning of something huge…?_

He slept peacefully that night.

 **Note: I finished this chapter at 11:30 PM my time, then woke up at four in the morning and realized that I didn't explain how Terry was able to get away with his cast. I quickly added a couple lines, and it looks good. If any viewers out there have questions, comments, or concerns with the writing, feel free to send me a PM or review on here and I'll address them ASAP. Thanks. -Orthros**


	10. Chapter IX: The Secret to Success

_**Only by refusing to believe in your limitations, and taking action to defy them, will you push yourself beyond them.**_ **-Orthros, 2016**

 **-Third Person Omniscient-**

"Terry… Terry, please wake up… TERRY!"

As if a bomb had gone off behind him, Terry yelled something unintelligible as he awoke to the words screamed inside his head. Flying out of bed, he got unbalanced on his cast and windmilled his arms hopelessly as he fell to the floor. Luckily it was carpet, as his head smacked pretty hard against it. Holding his heart with his hands and seeing double, he tried to slow his breathing. Blinking a couple times, he saw Angel, Alex and Nicky looking down at him, with concerned expressions on their faces. Finally having caught his breath, Terry sat up.

"Jeez, Angel, why the harsh wakeup call?" He asked, rubbing his face.

"You were thrashing around in your sleep, having a nightmare. It's past 10 in the morning anyway, the gym is open now…" She responds, sounding slightly nervous.

She may not have made any mention of the question, but Terry knew what she really wanted to know. "Alright, we can head over there in a few minutes. I'm fine, I can't remember the dream anyway," He said as he got up, sitting back on the couch and throwing on a shirt. Quickly he metered the bond between Angel and himself. In reality he wasn't ok. He had revisited Wellspring Cave in his sleep, and the tortured screams had found him no matter how hard he tried to leave. Shaking his head slightly, Terry grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the restrooms to freshen up.

He changed in one of the cubicles, then splashed cold tap water on his face. Looking in the mirror, he could visibly see his lack of sleep, the haunted look in his eyes. Waking up a bit, he composed himself, taking deep breaths. Feeling slightly calmer, and excited for their gym battle, he headed back to his room.

"You two will be great. Good luck!" Alex said to Terry and Angel, before waving a hand and walking to the stands, which were packed. Word had gotten out that a shiny pokemon, a strong one, would be fighting today. Everyone wanted a look. Angel rested in the backpack, but once Terry entered the hallway entrance to the Gym arena, she came out. Even from there, the crowd was loud and excited. Terry looked at her for a moment.

"Are you ok with them watching?" He asked. She nodded, determination burning in her eyes.

"Yes. Besides, a battle is different than regular crowds. You have your opponent to focus on, and the people have to stay off the arena floor, they can only be in the stands **.** "

"Good point. Lets win this thing."

Angel stood on Terry's shoulder, her head held high and fire lighting her orange eyes. Terry followed her example and walked into the battle field with confidence. Waiting at midfield was a woman in her late 20s, with dark skin and a mountain of cyan colored hair, clothed in a simple pink and white dress. She raised her hands for silence from the ever loudening crowd, and they respected her wishes. She spoke.

"Well, this is interesting. My name is Lenora, and I'm the Nacrene Gym Leader. Are you here to win my badge? If so, I hope you aren't like the dozens of trainers that come here to be easily defeated." She smiled.

Terry wasn't sure how to respond, and to be honest he felt offended. He shifted his crutches slightly, sounding annoyed when he spoke. "Neither Angel nor I got shot by team plasma, took the Striaton City Gym Leaders on three to one, almost died multiple times, and traveled all the way here to get defeated by you. I sure as hell didn't walk all the way here from Straiton City on these damn crutches to get blown off by you. My name is Terry Collins, and I've come to take that badge." The crowd is stunned into silence. Lenora, on the other hand, smiles warmly.

"I like your spirit, Terry. Not many challengers are willing to offend me that much. Shall we get this started?" At his nod, a referee stands off to one side at midfield. Lenora moves to the other side of the arena. The ref speaks.

"The battle between Lenora, the Nacrene City Gym Leader vs. Terry Collins, the challenger is about to begin! Here are the rules. Each side is allowed two pokemon, and the battle is over when one side is unable to battle. Furthermore, only the challenger may substitute pokemon…"

During this speech, Lenora and Terry faced each other. Lenora could see the fire in Terry's eyes, it felt as if it were going to be more a battle of wills, of spirits, then a pokemon battle. _His eyes tell me he wasn't lying about his adventures. This will be a tough battle._ Lenora thought.

"Battle, begin!"

"Herdier, give me a hand!" Lenora throws a pokeball high in the air, and when it opens, a dog pokemon similar to Kelly, Alex's Lillipup, but bigger, joins them on the battlefield. Terry regards the pokemon for a moment, noting it's muscular body. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Ace, come on out!" Terry yells, as the Patrat joins them on the field. _That Herdier will be slower than Ace, for sure. We can use the speed to our advantage_. "Ace, use quick attack!"

One second Ace was crouching, the next he slammed into the Herdier at full force. To Terry's shock, though, the pokemon only stumbled. Lenora smiled. "Herdier, use bite!"

The dog bared its fangs and lashed out at Ace, but on instinct alone, Terry shouted, "JUMP!"

Had Ace been any slower to react, he would have gotten fangs in the chest. As it was though, he jumped and managed to dodge the attack with the smallest amount of space. He quickly landed and put some space between him and his opponent. Herdier glared at Ace, who returned the stare with equal menace. Lenora's voice broke through the cheering crowds. "Herdier, use take down!"

With speed that just didn't seem possible to Terry, the Herdier took off, racing across the floor. "Ace! Dodge it with quick attack! Get it's side with hyper fang!"

Ace was gone in a flash, easily avoiding the Herdier's attack, before smashing his fangs down onto Herdier's back, right paw. The Dog Pokemon screeched in pain, but Lenora just shouted, "Throw it up in the air and use crunch!" Terry could only watch in horror as Herdier reared up, flinging Ace high into the air. It quickly crouched and jumped, biting the Patrat on the chest, causing Ace to scream in agony. As they landed, Herdier threw Ace from it's mouth. The mouse like pokemon landed in a heap at Terry's feet, unconscious.

"Ace the Patrat is unable to battle, the victor is Herdier!" The ref called as Terry knelt down, picking up the pokemon as it awoke. It looked sad about losing so quickly, but Terry assured him that he did well.

"Take a long rest, my friend. You earned it." He finishes, tapping Ace's pokeball on his head. Terry stands up, motioning for Angel to take to the battlefield.

The ref raises his flags. "Battle, begin!"

"Angel, use psychic." Terry says. Angels eyes glow blue, and suddenly the Herdier is lifted off it's feet and thrown into the wall, which cracks upon taking the impact. Herdier was unconscious before he even hit the ground. The crowd is silent for a moment, the turn in battle was so surprising that even the ref was dumbstruck. Lenora returns Herdier, whispering praise to him as she takes out another pokeball. The ref shakes off his shock and makes the call.

"Herdier is unable to battle! The victor is Angel!" he says, somewhat hesitantly. Lenora takes out another pokeball and throws it without a word. Suddenly a Watchog was standing in front of Angel, it's eyes wide and unblinking. The pair of pokemon stare defiantly at each other as the ref restarts the battle.

"Battle, Begin!" The words are barely out of his mouth before Watchog's arm glows white, and it sends a Brick Break flying at Angel. Without waiting for a command, Angel ducks, than cartwheels backwards, making some space between them.

"Angel, use Magical Leaf!" Terry shouts. Angel raises her arms and several scythe blade shaped leaves appear. Throwing her arms forward, she directs the attack at her opponent.

"Watchog, Light Screen!" Lenora shouts. Watchog doesn't move, but a yellowish colored wall appears, and blocks half the damage. The rest of the attack hits, but Watchog doesn't even try to block it, nor does he make any recognition that he felt the attack. "Now, Watchog! ThunderBolt!"

Electricity sparks from Watchog's tail, sending a bolt of lightning flying at Angel. It hits before she can react, her scream is immediate. She falls to one knee as the attack stops, breathing heavily. Lenora sighs. "Watchog, end this. Shadow Ball."

The dark, condensed energy strikes Angel in the chest, creating a huge explosion. When the dust clears, Angel is on her hands and knees, struggling to stay awake. Terry sees and feels the pain she is experiencing, he opens his mouth to speak.

"I forf-"

"NO!"

Terry stops talking as Angel screams the word into his head, watches as she struggles to her feet. Her legs are shaking and she's still short of breath, but the determination, the fire in her eyes can't be missed. The crowd roared their approval at the show of courage, but fall silent over the next event.

A white light swallows Angel's small form, growing brighter by the second. Her body grows taller, slightly skinnier. A gown develops and flows down, also covered in bright light. A spike jets out from her chest, while the horns disappear. Suddenly the light explodes, sending sparkles in all directions. Standing where Angel stood was a Gardevoir, whose blue hair and skin clashed with her white dress, and orange eyes and spike. Terry was so dumbstruck that he had to force his mouth closed and shake his head a couple times before he could really understand what had happened.

"Angel… You evolved." He said quietly, yet in the silence of the gym, the words bounced, echoed all around. The Gardevoir looks startled for a moment, raising her hands to her face, looking down at her new form. She breathes deeply, then levitates slightly, a smile on her face.

"I suppose I did," She says, and by the reaction of the crowd Terry knows that she said it to everyone, that her telekinetic powers just went through the roof.

Terry laughs. "I gotta admit, you look great. Something tells me that it's not just your looks that got a boost, though. Shall we try out that new power of yours?" She nods.

Lenora smiles at this. "It seems like the real battle starts now. Ref, call it!"

The ref nods, raises his flags and speaks. "Battle, Restart!"

"Angel, use Thunderbolt!" Terry shouts. She quickly charges the move, and even in the back of the stands you could feel the immense power she was creating. Lenora wasn't one to back down, and neither was Watchog, though.

"Watchog, use ThunderBolt as well!" Watchog charges his own bolt, and when the pair of pokemon fire, the attacks meet at midfield, causing the ref to run for cover as a massive ball of energy expands there. It moves back and forth as the struggle for the upper hand creates a stalemate. After a few seconds, but seems like an eternity, the ball of lightning slams into Watchdog, whose scream of agony is clearly heard. The explosion shakes the arena, as if Arceus had slammed his thousand hands repeatedly into the floor, shaking and swirling. When it finally dies down and the dust clears, Watchog is unconscious in a giant, smoking crater. Angel is no longer levitating, but standing, breathing heavily. Then the ref makes the call and the arena explodes in sound.

"Watchog is unable to battle! The winners are Angel and Terry!" The crowd goes absolutely nuts as they cheer for the winners, chanting their names. Lenora shakes her head, a smile on her face as she returns Watchog. She gives the pokeballs to an assistant for healing, then meets Terry in midfield.

"Terry… I gotta say, that was one of the most impressive battles I've ever had. You two are something else." She turns her gaze on Angel, then smiles. "I'm not supposed to make a rivalry with a challenger, strictly speaking, but to hell with that. Don't you dare lose to anyone before you lose to me. I expect you to give us another great battle when we meet again." She holds out her hand to Terry. Resting in her palm is the Basic Badge. Terry takes it, then nods to Lenora.

"I agree with your terms. It was a great battle." He says, shaking hands with Lenora. The crowd screams their approval of sportsmanship as Angel and Terry walk out of the arena. As they come out of the hall, cameras swarm them, but Angel creates a telekinetic bubble around the pair, which absorbs Alex and Nicky when they approach. They walk calmly through the sea of reporters, the bubble gently pushing them away as they walk through the streets.

Angel keeps the bubble up until they get to the dorm at the Pokemon Center that was allowed for them. All the other pokemon had been dropped off with Nurse Joy's assistants, while the lady herself agreed to check on Angel separately. The boys stood guard outside while the girls went in, and answered questions that were given to them. When Nurse Joy opened the door, the trainers quickly disappeared inside, locking the door behind them. Angel could be seen under the bed covers, sleeping soundly. Nurse Joy addressed Terry and Alex.

"She's ok, just drained from the battle and making that bubble. Now, I don't think I need to explain this, but I will, just in case... Angel is a fully grown Gardevoir now, and she's got… Areas that need to be kept to herself…" She stops talking as both Terry's and Alex's faces redden like tomatoes

"Nurse Joy… we get it… And really, that's embarrassing. Even in private." Terry said, getting redder still.

Nurse Joy just shrugs. "Some people need a reminder, although I suppose you two aren't those people. Anyway, just let her sleep. Have a nice day." Nurse Joy leaves the room, herding the cameras that remained, hoping for a last glimpse, along with her. Alex speaks up.

"That battle… That was incredible…" He sounds dumbstruck even now. Terry just nods, then lays on one of the two couches and gets a random book out of his backpack. He is just opening it when a knock sounds at the door.

"Terry? Alex? Open up, it's Callen." Terry and Alex exchanged looks before quietly stepping outside. Callen looks nervous, but hopeful.

"Hey, Callen. What can we do for you?" Alex says in greeting.

"I wanted to congratulate you guys on your win… And I was wondering if I could join you on your journey." Terry and Alex glance at each other, but Callen is on a roll now. "Back in Wellspring cave, Terry, you came up with a plan so quickly. And Alex, I saw some of the battles you and Kelly were doing. You guys are great. You're fearless. I want to join you so I can push myself farther than I ever have before. Please."

Terry stays silent for a moment, deep in thought. Than he speaks. "Sure."

Callen looks surprised. "For real? No arguments, just 'sure?'"

Alex speaks up. "What, you expected a million and one reasons why you can't? I'm not that kinda guy." He smiles. "The more the merrier. We are going to stay here for the rest of today and set out tomorrow. Sound good with you?"

Callen nods, smiling. The three trainers went to their rooms, doing as they wished.

Terry made a quick call to his father, who had even seen the battle on TV. "You kids are bringing a lot of attention to yourselves. Just be careful. So, Angel evolved. Any ideas on new PR positions?" He asked.

"None yet, I'll discuss it with her tomorrow," Terry said. In truth he was kind of worried, Physical Reassurance didn't work well if the situation felt awkward, so it was going to take some time to adjust. Nonetheless, he would cross that bridge soon enough.

"All right. Stay safe, son. Good Night." his father said in farewell. Terry returned the goodbye and signed off. As he layed on the couch, he wondered what new surprises the next day would bring. His journey had certainly been filled with ups and downs, but whether or not tomorrow was good or bad, today marked a new chapter in his life. Tomorrow could be tackled with renewed energy.

Without further thought, Terry allowed himself to fall into a dreamless sleep.

 **Note: So, Angel has finally evolved! Tomorrow brings new challenges, new surprises. The quote at the beginning was made by yours truly, and I think it works well as the theme for this chapter. Please R &R, and thanks so much for taking the time to read this. Have a great day, and Happy Reading! -Orthros**


	11. Chapter X: The Best Medicine

**Authors Note: Playing around with POV, trying to decide if I should stick with First Person, or switch to Third Person Omniscient. In other words, feel free to review and leave your opinion. Talk to you all soon, and enjoy! -Orthros (PS. Rewrote this at 1 AM, sorry for possible spelling mistakes…)**

 **-Third Person Omniscient-**

Sunshine streamed in through the curtains of the small room, momentarily blinding Terry, who was getting dressed. Moving his head slightly and blinking, the room, along with Alex, and Nicky, who were also awake, came back into focus. Angel was still asleep, which wasn't very surprising. Nurse Joy said that she had used most of her energy during yesterday's battle, along with the barrier that allowed them to walk through the reporters and cameras afterward without being swarmed. The two boys had given her the bed that she had fallen asleep on, rather than waking her to arrange for all of their comfort. As Alex left the room to get dressed, though, Terry felt her mind begin to awake. By the time the other boy had returned, she had sat up and was rubbing her eyes. Terry sat on the edge of the bed, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" He asked softly. Nurse Joy had said that the bullet wound she had received in the Dreamyard seemed to have healed when she evolved, but phantom pain might be present. Angel smiled slightly before responding.

"Better, I think. Sleep definitely helped, I could hardly keep my eyes open while Nurse Joy did her checkup. Thanks for letting me sleep in, by the way." She added as she got out of bed. Levitating off the ground slightly, she grabbed a brush from my pack and used it on her hair, returning it to it's normal position. Terry found himself staring and quickly looked away, shaking his head. He picked up his pokeballs. Ace was doing ok, but it was the Roggenrola that he was worried about. Nurse Joy had healed him up, but Terry didn't know what to think, really. The teen had delayed his meeting the pokemon, and Nicky was the only one he had talked to so far. He knew he couldn't delay the event any longer, though, so he walked out onto the small porch that accompanied the room.

Feeling more nervous by the second, Terry pressed the button on the sphere. In a flash of light, the pokemon, a small, rock like shape with a single eye, colored blue and brownish yellow, appeared.

Terry and Roggenrola stared at each other, as if deciding what to think. Terry forced himself to push down the horrible memories that had surfaced upon releasing the pokemon, who was technically responsible.

He nodded to him. "Hello. My name is Terry," he began, uncertain. "I'm sorry I didn't meet you sooner, but to be honest, I didn't really know what to think. My friends and I are on a journey to become stronger. Would you like to join us?" The pokemon nodded, which looked kind of awkward. "All right. You need a name though… How about Axinite?" It jumped slightly, still nodding, seeming happy with it's name. In that moment, Terry let go of every bit of negative emotion he could, and felt much calmer and happier with Axinite. He returned the pokemon to it's ball and went back inside.

20 minutes later, give or take, Terry and Alex, along with Angel, went down to the Pokemon Center lobby. They hesitated for a moment in the hallway, before seeing Callen waiting at a nearby table. Ignoring the stares, the group sat down with him. Terry noted Angel's stance, her relaxed, confident mindset. _Evolving really improved her confidence. That's good._

Callen waved in greeting. "Glad to see you didn't leave without me. Where to from here?" He says.

Alex responds. "Nicky and I looked over the map last night. Castelia City is the next city to head to from here, and we can get there from the Skyarrow Bridge. Pinwheel Forest has a path that leads right to it."

Terry nods. "Although, Callen, if you want to get the badges, we can backtrack to Striaton."

Callen shakes his head, a slight frown on his face. "To be honest, my goal is to become a pokemon doctor. I guess another term is Breeder, but nonetheless. I suppose we should get going then?" He adds, picking up his backpack. The group nods in unison, then sets out.

 **-Later That Day-**

"Meet it head on with Tackle!"

Axinite, running faster then what seemed logically possible for the small pokemon, smashed full force into the Pikachu, who he was battling with. Quick attack and Tackle landed, stalemating for a moment before Axinite lost, being thrown back, landing and digging a small trench in the dirt as he fainted. Pikachu ran back to it's trainer, who smiled, patting its head. Terry picked up the Roggenrola, who sighed heavily as it awoke.

"You did great, Axinite. You will get better soon, don't worry," He says as returns him to his pokeball. Turning his gaze on the trainer he spoke. "That was a great battle, Joey. We'll see each other again, and I'll win for sure. Good luck." The trainers wave in farewell as they part ways.

Terry, Alex, Angel, and Callen had taken a break at the entrance to Skyarrow Bridge, where the young boy had asked for a battle. As Terry was returning to the group, he saw Angel seated a little further away from the rest of the team, reading. After releasing Axinite and Ace, so they could have lunch, the 15 year old sat down next to the Psychic Type.

"Still reading 'The History and Hells of Unova,' I see. I don't really want to interrupt, but we need to talk…" Terry says. Angel just nods, before replacing her bookmark and setting the book down beside her.

"Physical Reassurance positions, right?" She asks, her voice speaking in the back of Terry's mind.

Terry nods. "That and others, although this is the most important." He glances at her back, which seems like it's missing something. "Where is the spike that sticks out from your back?"

She laughs. "Some Gardevoir don't get one. Not even we are sure why. I'm thinking it has something to do with the bond between their trainer, but I don't know." Terry nods.

"That would make PR much easier, if I don't have to worry about being stabbed whenever you shift," he responds, laughing as well. it takes the pair a moment to calm down, their bond flowing well. Once he can pull a straight face, Terry speaks again. "As a Kirlia, you liked to lay in my lap, with your head over my heart… If we do the same thing, but instead have your legs off to one side…" She nods.

"We could try it here, no one else is around." She says as she gets up a bit. Terry lays with his back against the tree, like he would do every night before bed. Angel lays down, her back against his chest, leaning her head on his shoulder. She lays at an angle, so her legs are off to the side. She relaxes, as does Terry, whose thankful that his cast is on the other leg. The effect was immediate, their bond flowed well and soon their breathing went into sync. The pair closed their eyes and enjoyed the peace.

Nearby, Callen and Alex were talking. Callen, who was enjoying their friendly argument, noticed Terry and Angel for the first time. He quieted down, and Alex, who followed his gaze, noticed as well.

"Let's quiet down a bit, everyone," Alex says softly. The pokemon got the idea and lowered their voices, and after a moment of silence between the trainers, Callen spoke up.

"What are they doing…? Sitting like that in public? They'll get arrested!" He says, sounding agitated. Alex shakes his head, addressing his concerns.

"Calm down. They're not having any sort of sexual affair. Let me explain. Psychic types develop a much stronger bond than most pokemon with their trainers. One of the most important developments for that bond is Physical Reassurance. It gives them a way to relax and let go of any stress the pair have, and if your bond is strong enough, as theirs is, Terry can even prevent Angel from feeling pain if she's injured. They started it when she was a Kirlia. When she evolved, though, her form was much longer and they can't use the same position they had before. PR never works if the situation feels weird, so it's best to find a position while they don't need it, so when they do, it will be much more effective. By the looks of it, they're trying a similar position to what they had last time." he states.

Callen nods, beckoning him to continue. "See how their breathing is in sync? Thats one sign that it's working. I don't know if you noticed, but Angel, and Nicky as well, although not as much, have a fear of crowds. They don't like being in them, Angel especially because of her unusual coloring is stared at alot. That's a common occurrence among psychic types. They rely on the emotions of their trainer to help them. I'm assuming you saw us walking through the streets with that barrier?" He adds the question on at the end. Callen nods once again. "Terry looked almost bored, right? And more than once, he put his hand on Angel's shoulder, almost like he was holding her steady. That wasn't because she was tired. He had a bored look because he was not concentrating where he was going. He was communicating with Angel, with both words and feelings, to keep her from losing her cool. She was nervous, terrified even, of the amount of people that had appeared to see them. The hand on the shoulder was a different kind of PR, most Psychic Trainers refer to as 'Public Walking.' It's a hidden, almost unnoticeable gesture we use to calm our partners in public areas, where regular PR, called 'Private Relaxing,' isn't an option. There's also 'Public Sitting,' which I assume they will figure out later. Here they come."

Terry and Angel, having agreed that the position worked well, joined the rest of the group. They packed away their lunch supplies and headed into the entrance to Skyarrow Bridge. Callen noticed that the pair seemed much happier than earlier, and seemed satisfied with the description Alex gavehim. As they walked onto the bridge, the whole group gasped as one, amazed by the view. Blue ocean for miles around, with the end of the bridge spread out in the distance. The smell of the sea invigorated the team, and Callen spoke up.

"LAST ONE ACROSS THE BRIDGES BUYS DINNER!" He says as he dashed off. Alex shakes his head, smiling, and runs after them. Terry and Angel on the other hand, smirked. They waited until the pair of trainers had almost reached the end, before Terry grabbed Angel's hand and she teleported the pair to the exit gate. Both of the younger trainers lay in the road, sweat soaked and breathing heavily. When Callen looked up, his eyes widened as the older trainer and his partner doubled over, laughing. Callen proved his worth when he joined in, as well as Alex. They walked on, chatting and laughing together.

As they entered the city, they quieted down. Castella City was huge, and they had no idea where to go. Luckily, the police station was well enough recognized, so they beelined to it and walked inside. The policeman on guard duty looked up when the group entered, his eyes widening slightly. His eyes locked onto Terry.

"Hello. Are you Terry Collins?" At Terry's nod, the man walked quickly out of the room, and a moment later an Officer Jenny returned.

"You arrived, finally." She says, a slight laugh accompanying the words. "Welcome to Castelia City. Angel evolved than? That's good to hear. Did you guys have any trouble getting here?" She adds, walking over to a computer and typing a message into it.

"No, actually. The walk went well. Although, if we could get a ride to the Pokemon Center, that would be great. None of us are up to walking in the crowds." Terry responds. That wasn't exactly what he meant, but he knew that Officer Jenny would get the idea. Sure enough, she nods, a look of understanding on her face.

"I'll have Officer Dale give you a lift. Dale!" She shouts the last word, and the man they had seen upon arrival reappeared moments later.

"Yessir?" He says, saluting.

Officer Jenny shakes her head. "You don't have to call me 'sir,' or salute. But ok. Can you give these kids and their pokemon a ride to the Pokemon Center?"

"Ye-" He forces himself to stop, and returns to a casual position. "Sorry, Officer Jenny. Army beat me into shape a bit too well. I'll warm up car 04. Come on then, kids." He adds, walking through another door, which led to a garage. A police van, soon loaded up with the group, left the station. Lights blazing, but no siren, it still cleared the crowd pretty quick. In no time at all, they pulled up at the Pokemon Center, where everyone piled out. They waved to Officer Dale as he drove back, before heading inside.

The Pokemon Center looked as inviting and cozy as ever. Nurse Joy gladly accepted the trainers pokemon, and, after a moment's discussion, led Angel into a back room, where her checkup was done privately. After that, the group headed up to their hotel room, which had two beds in opposite corners, and a large couch. Callen volunteered for the couch, and as it was getting late, they decided to hit the sack.

Dressed in pajama pants and socks, Terry climbed into bed. Upon closer inspection, a bunk was discovered, which Angel liked more than the heavy blankets. After PR, which worked well, Angel climbed into the bunk and slept soundly. Soon enough, Terry did as well.

 _ **-AUTHORS NOTE: Hello, Readers! Sorry it took me so long to get Chapter X done. I started this Friday night, and I was having some serious trouble concentrating, getting my ideas written/typed down. However, I did notice something. I managed to log in Friday afternoon, and noticed something huge.**_ **Gardevoir, My Angel** _**had 999 views! I took a couple of screenshots, waited a few minutes, and we hit 1,000 VIEWS! I cannot thank you all enough, when I first started this I had no idea how it would go. I enjoy writing so much and the fact that so many of you read it as well means the world to me. In celebration of 1,000 views, I will be starting ANOTHER SERIES! I will be doing it alongside**_ **Gardevoir, My Angel.** _**It is not, yet at least, related to**_ **Gardevoir, My Angel** _**in any way. The series will be called**_ **The Gears of Reality** _ **and will also be a Pokemon-World story. I'm going to be doing it in Hoenn, (NOTHING TO DO WITH THE EVIL ORGANIZATIONS MAGMA/AQUA), with several similarities to ORAS, but over all different. Again, Thanks so much for all the support. (Special thanks to**_ **GojiraxShinyGardevoir** _ **, you have no idea how much your words meant to me.) I hope to be uploading the first Chapter of**_ **The Gears of Reality** _**soon, and I want to upload at least one Chapter of each series every week, if not more. Talk to you all soon! -Orthros**_


	12. Chapter XI: To Admit One's Desires (1-2)

**Quick Note: I'm going to be redoing the style of this writing to that of 'Gears of Reality.' Angel will not have bold text for her talking, but I'll make sure it's understood nonetheless. I'll be trying for longer, more detailed chapters as well. Enjoy! -Orthros**

 **-Terry's POV,** **FP** **-**

I'm impressed. We woke up this morning refreshed and ready to roll, getting training in before we challenge Burgh, the Castelia City gym leader. Axinite especially. He has been training non-stop all day, urged on by the loss against Joey yesterday. It just showed it's worth, too. Axinite evolved.

The light exploded apart, as it had done for Angel, revealing a rock-like structure with three legs. "Boldore!" It roared.

"Great job, Axinite!" I shout, crouching down and patting the Boldore on it's back. I turn my attention to Ace, who was getting some special training from Angel. She had been using psychic on several rocks, launching them at incredible speeds at the Patrat. The ones he couldn't dodge, he destroyed with slam, tackle or quick attack.

The Patrat was still doing well, but his strain at going full steam all day was showing. I spoke up to the group. "All right, guys. We are going to take an early day." Ace tries to slow down, but trips, skidding spectacularly across the dirt of the arena we are practicing in. It lies faceup on the floor for a moment, before giving me a thumbs up. I laugh a little. "Nice landing, Ace." I crack up, as do the others. When I can finally breathe again, I continue. "Seriously though, good job you two. Why don't you head back inside? Angel and I will join you in a moment."

Axinite walks over to Ace, and motions for him to get on his back. Chuckling, I watch the pair slowly wander back into the Pokemon Center. Alex and Callen had last been seen in the Pokemon Center lobby, engaged in a Chess match, that's where they headed. I smile, then move next to Angel. She sighs softly.

"I had fun today. Ace and Axinite are doing really well... " She says. I move slightly, hugging her. She seems surprised for a moment, before returning the embrace.

"You did well too, Angel." I reply. I can sense something troubling her, though. I take her hand in mine and squeeze it gently, before we head back to the Center. The lobby is still fairly full, and to our surprise the crowd has taken sides over Alex's and Callen's game. I take a quick look at the clock, which reads 8:36 PM. Then I turn my attention back to the board and speak up.

"Who's who?" I ask.

"Knight b5, check. Oh, hey Terry, Angel. I'm black." Alex says in greeting. Callen waves a hand, not taking his eyes off the board.

I chuckle. "Better step up your game, Callen…" Then I figure out his play. "Oh. Ok, nevermind." I say, laughing softly at Alex's expression.

After a moment, I speak again. "Anyway, Angel and I are going to take a bit of an early night. We'll see you two later." The pair nod as Angel and I take our leave. As we get to the stairs, a pair of shouts, one in victory and one of shame, sound behind us.

 **-Angel's POV-**

 _Why is it so hard…_ I wonder to myself as I climb, side by side with Terry, up the stairs.

 _I hate emotions…_

I've been with Terry for years now, but something has been nagging me ever since we left on our journey. It's always been easy for me to sort out my emotions and thoughts, but this makes no sense. At least, it didn't until the dreamyard... _I love him. More than brother and sister. But how can it work? There are laws against Human-Pokemon relationships. I want to at least admit it to him… But it never seems like the right time._

I realize I have tears in my eyes at the top of the steps and quickly wipe them away, playing it off that I had something in them. _I love him and I want to admit it but I don't know how he'll react._ As we enter our room, I quickly get into my bunk and casually cover my face with the pillow.

I'm certain Terry noticed something was off, though. He leaves me be as he dresses in his usual night clothes. A moment later, he opens the porch door and steps outside. I lay still, trying to sort out my emotions, work up some sort of bravery to just let him know. It doesn't work. A little while later, Terry reenters the room and lays silently on his bed. After a couple of minutes, he speaks.

"You're upset about something… I don't know what, and I will not read your thoughts to find out." He says, sounding slightly sad. He hesitates for a moment, then continues. "Would you like to do PR for a while? We don't have to talk if you don't want to."

Physical Reassurance would help me immensely, so I climb on top of his covers and lean against his shoulder. He pulls an extra soft sheet over and covers me with it. I let go a little, letting my tears flow. He sees them but doesn't say anything. Instead, he rubs the back of my head and neck with his hand, letting me cry myself out.

A few silent minutes later, I'm calm once again. I breathe deeply. _I'm so lucky to have Terry as my partner. He always knows what to do, always puts everyone else before himself..._

"Thank you, Terry," I say. He smiles slightly.

"You're welcome. Now go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." He replies softly.

I lean back and close my eyes. I've always felt comfortable with him, and tonight was no different. He rubs my arms, and eventually I drift off into slumber. As I'm falling asleep, he says the words.

"I love you, Angel. Sweet dreams." he says.

 **-Next Day, Angel POV-**

I wake feeling refreshed, calm and ready. I'm surprised to see Terry already awake, reading a novel next to me. He speaks as I sit up.

"I hope I didn't wake you. I figured I would let you sleep, but since you were leaning against me it was kind of impossible to get out of bed." He chuckles. I join in, secretly thanking Arceus for the million and first time how lucky I was to have a great trainer.

"Thanks for that. Where are Alex and Callen?" I ask, noticing the empty beds. Terry hesitates for a moment.

"They… agreed to sleep in another room last night, so they wouldn't wake you," he says, uncertain. After a moment, he sighs. "They walked in after you were asleep, and to be honest, walking in on a guy and a Gardevoir in bed together isn't exactly something you want to see. I explained the situation and they slept in another room out of concern for you." He finishes quickly, sounding more embarrassed with every word.

"A-at least they understood…" I respond, blushing. I look over at the clock that sits on the nightstand. 7:48. "When does the gym open?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

Terry smiles slightly. "Ready to whip some ass? Well, it doesn't open till 10 AM, sadly. Would you like to head down to the lobby with me? I'm going to do a bit of last second research on Burgh," he says as he slips out from under the bed covers. I nod, getting up as well.

I grab a brush from Terry's pack, and as we make our way down the stairs, I return my hair to it's normal position. Very few people are in the lobby, Alex and Callen not among them. I get a cup of water from Nurse Joy, then settle down on one of the couches. The cool drink helps me wake up, and a few minutes later I'm fully ready to tackle the day. Several people glance at me, but all seem to be respectful. They don't stare, which I'm happy about, at least.

Terry sits down next to me, holding his pokedex. He casually puts his hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. It only lasts a moment, but it helps. I speak.

"What type of pokemon does he have?" I ask. Terry scans the information, then responds.

"It says here he specializes in Bug Types," he says. After a moment of thought, he pulls out Ace's and Axinite's pokeballs and releases the pair. "Alright, you guys. It says here that Burgh's gym battles are three on three, single battles. Axinite, will you start us off then?" Axinite gives off a low roar, eager to redeem himself. Terry nods.

"Ok then. Oh, hey Alex, Callen!" Terry adds. The pair of trainers return the greeting and sit on the couch next to us.

I feel the heat rising in my cheeks and turn slightly, hiding it. Alex notices, and whispers. "Sorry about last night. It won't happen again." He says. Callen nods, backing him up. I smile and nod.

Suddenly I get an idea. "Hey, Alex?" I start. "Can I talk to Nicky?" Alex nods. For a moment he goes silent, then a white flash appears and Nicky is suddenly standing on his shoulder. The Kirlia smiles, waves his arm in a 'follow me' motion and walks off. I follow him out a side door, and in moments we are in an indoor garden. A couple of Audino are caring for the plants, but other than them, we are alone. Nicky jumps onto a nearby bench and I sit beside him. He speaks.

"Hi, Angel. Alex said you wanted to talk to me?" He says, his voice like a soft wind chime in my head. I nod.

"I… want your opinion. But first you need to promise that you will keep it a secret, even from Alex, Terry, and Callen. Can you do that?" I say, hesitant. Nicky looks a bit taken aback, but agrees nonetheless.

I take a deep breath. "I… I love Terry. In more than just a brother and sisterly way." I look away, blushing. But to my surprise, when I look back a moment later, Nicky doesn't seem surprised. He smiles slightly.

"The others may not have noticed, Angel, but I did. I was wondering when you would tell me. Just because I'm younger doesn't mean I don't know what's going on," he says. "You don't know how to tell him, and you're worried about the rules concerning People and Pokemon relationships, right?" He continues, putting a small hand on my arm.

The fact that he understands is so surprising that it takes me a moment to register what he said. I sigh. "Yes, that's true." He chuckles.

"Give me a second." He says. Before I can say anything, Nicky disappears in a flash of light. A moment later, he reappears, holding Alex's pokedex. He taps a few times, and some sort of guide comes up. He holds the Dex out to me. "Read this."

I take the device from him and read the title out loud. "Human-Pokemon Relationships - Subsection Exceptions, Psychic Types." My eyes widen as I read the information.

 _Psychic Type Pokemon bonds are very strong, human and pokemon are often together for life. In recognition of this, if the human and pokemon are willing to carry on the relationship at the level of romanticism, then it is allowed. Human and Pokemon must register themselves at a Pokemon Center before any sexual affairs. Any questions should be sent to Prof. Oak in Pallet Town, Kanto or Prof. Rowan of Sandgem Town, Sinnoh._

Nicky grins at my expression. "As for wondering how Terry would react… He loves you more than anything, anyone in the world. You two would make a great couple." He says. He sounds so confident, so sure of himself that I believe him. I reach over and embrace the young Kirlia.

"Thank you so much, Nicky." I say. He smiles, pushing me away playfully and sitting back on the bench.

"I've always thought of you as my older sister… Siblings help each other out with this kind of thing, don't they? Listen…" He says, growing serious. "If you have something on your mind that you don't want to go directly to Terry about, come talk to me. I'll give you a hand." He holds out his hand. I smile and shake it.

"Deal."

 **-9:30 AM, Terry POV-**

"All right, let's head out!" I say, excited for my battle with Burgh. Alex, Callen, Angel and I are in the Center lobby, after having waited impatiently for over two hours. I noticed Angel looked extremely happy after her talk with Nicky, but as we are about to head out the door, I sense her getting nervous. I back up and casually place my hand on her shoulder. "I know the streets are crowded, but don't worry. Alex is going to walk on one side of you, with me on the other, and Callen behind you. It gets the message across." I whisper. She relaxes a little, and without further ado, we head out.

The trip went fairly well, although word had gotten out of the teams arrival at Castelia. Apparently the battle with Lenora had made them somewhat famous, as way more people than usual were out on the streets, heading in the direction of the gym. The crowd was huge, but they respected the wishes of the group, backing up a few paces when requested. In about 20 minutes we arrived at the building. I took a deep breath, then headed inside.

An assistant sends us through a side door, and in moments we are in a deserted hallway. The walls must have been soundproofed, because once the door closed, the sounds of the excited crowd vanished. We walk through the hallway, in moments arriving at a gate that must lead to the battlefield. I nod to Angel, then press the button to my right. The door slowly opens, revealing a packed stadium surrounding a huge arena. I lift my chin slightly, and, with my best friend at my side, walk out onto the field, whose audience roars its welcome.

Waiting at centerfield is Burgh. He's easy to make out, dressed in a light green shirt, with red, white and black striped pants and tennis shoes. Alex and Callen walk to the sidelines, ending up near the judge. Angel and I, on the other hand, walk to midfield, paying no attention to the crowds.

The man grins wide and holds out his hand. "Hello! My name is Burgh, and I'm the Castelia City Gym Leader!" He says enthusiastically.

I shake his hand, which feels fragile but has a strong grip. "My name is Terry, and this is Angel, my partner. Pretty interesting arena, I have to admit." I state. It's true. The floor is grassy, with several large boulders dotted around. Leafless tree trunks wrap around in a loose, web-like fashion, creating platforms high above us. I wonder how he will use it to his advantage. He nods, giving me a thumbs up.

"I know. It suits the type of gym well, don't you think?" He responds. His grins lessens slightly as he becomes more serious. "I think it's time the two of you show me what you're made of." I nod. We turn on heel and walk back to the opposite sides of the field, then face each other once more.

The judge raises his hands, and the crowd quiets slightly as he speaks. "The battle between Terry Collins, the challenger, versus Burgh, the Castelia City Gym Leader is about to begin! Three pokemon will be allowed to each side, and the battle is over when one side is unable to battle! Furthermore, only the challenger may substitute pokemon! Challenger, are you ready?"

I wave my hand, shouting "Yeah, let's do it!". The judge nods, then turns to Burgh.

"Leader Burgh, are you ready?" He shouts.

The man nods, waving to the crowd. "Always am!"

The judge yells the words. "Battle, begin!"

"Axinite, to the front line!" I yell.

"Dwebble, center stage!" The leader cries at the same time.

In twin flashes of light, the Boldore and Dwebble appear. They stare each other down, waiting for their trainer's commands. Not wasting any time, Terry shouts, "Headbutt!"

The rock type runs down the field, letting out a low roar. Burgh waits until the last second, then shouts, "Use protect!"

A greenish blue shield forms around Dwebble, which Axinite rams into. The Boldore stumbles back, and Burgh continues. "Use Shell Smash, than X-Scissor!" Dwebble jumps into the air, and as it does, the shell on it's back glows red. Suddenly it explodes, shards of rock flying in all directions. Angel uses a Protect shield of her own to deflect the small projectiles away from herself and her trainer, while using psychic to protect the midfield judge and her friends. The judge waves a hand of thanks, not taking his eyes off the battle.

Dwebble reaches the peak of it's jump, and as it starts to fall, it's claws glow with a whitish energy. "Meet it with Headbutt!" Terry shouts. Axinite roars, backs up a few steps, then runs at Dwebble. The two attacks meet in a clash of sparks, stalemating for a few seconds before canceling each other out.

"Use Mud Slap!" Terry yells. At point blank range, Axinite lets loose a barrage of mud, sending Dwebble flying. The attack must of hurt, but Dwebble gets up anyway.

"Goob job, Dwebble!" Burgh calls. "Now, use Rock Slide!" Dwebble becomes cloaked in a blue glow, and suddenly one of the giant boulders is pried from the ground. It flies up several feet, before shattering apart. The pieces start raining down, striking the Boldore repeatedly.

"Axinite, hang in there!" Terry yells. Unfortunately, the shards proved too much for the pokemon, Axinite fell to the ground in a heap.

The judge raises his flags. "Axinite the Boldore is unable to battle! The winner is Dwebble!" He says, as Terry returns his friend to his pokeball.

"You did great, my friend. Take a rest, you earned it." Terry whispers to the pokeball.

 **-Meanwhile, Unknown POV-**

A woman in her early 30s holds a phone up to her ear. "Yes, the battle seems to be going well. Do me a favor and repeat my mission. Just so we're clear."

"We've a client that is willing to pay for the capture of that Gardevoir. The offer is so much it would pay for the rest of phase two. Your strike team is setup for capture. Whenever you feel the time is right." The voice sounds garbled but understandable. The lady smiles.

"Will do." She says.

 **-Terry POV-**

"Ace, to the front line!" I yell.

In a flash of light, Ace appears. The ref raises his flags, and restarts the battle.

"Ace, slam!" I say. The Patrat takes off, showing his speed as usual. Burgh doesn't react in time as Ace scores a direct hit, knocking the Dwebble off it's feet. "Now use Bite!" I shout. The pokemon sinks it's teeth into Dwebble, who cries in agony. Moments later, it faints.

"Dwebble is unable to battle! The winner is Ace, the Patrat!" The ref shouts. Burgh returns his pokemon in a flash of light, whispering praise to it. With a smile, he throws his next pokeball.

"Whirlipede, center stage!" He says.

In a brilliant flash of white light, the Curlipede Pokemon appears on the battlefield.

"Now, Whirlipede, use Poison Sting!" Burgh calls. Whirlipede spins in place, sending several poisonous barbs at Ace.

"Ace, dodge them! Weave around and get in close!" I shout. Ace flies forward, engaged in an almost dance-like movement, spinning around the needles. "Tackle!"

Ace rams head on into the Whirlipede, knocking it over. Burgh just smiles. "Use Venoshock!"

Whirlipede roars, and several purple streaks of Aura fly off it. The streaks slam into Ace, he cries in agony and is thrown back, digging a trench in the grass. Before I can say anything, though, he gets back up, looking majorly pissed.

"PATRAT!" It screams, and suddenly he's enveloped in a harsh white light, getting brighter by the second. I shield my eyes, and when the light dies down, a Watchog has replaced Ace. The crowd screams and applauds at the show of power. Burgh claps as well.

"Bravo, bravo, Ace!" It seems like this has only just begun. Whirlipede! Let's not give them anything to celebrate about! Use Rollout!" He shouts. Whirlipede starts spinning extremely fast, racing around the arena. I can tell that Ace isn't having any trouble tracking the pokemon, though.

"We have every right to celebrate, and I plan to keep that right, Ace! Use Slam!" I scream. Ace takes off, easily matching the speed of the Bug Type opponent. The pair are blurs, smashing into each other over and over all across the arena. They both suddenly stop in front of their trainers. Ace is breathing heavily, several bruises are present. I can tell it wants to finish this though.

"Slam!"

"Double-Edge!"

Burgh and I shout at the same time. The pair of pokemon race across the arena, and when they meet, the crash is like a gunshot, an explosion rocks the stage with the combined forces of the two pokemon. When the dust settles, both are standing about 10 feet from each other. They eye each other momentarily. Each gives a slight nod, then simultaneously both fall to the ground, unconscious.

The judge yells, "Both Whirlipede and Ace the Watchog are unable to battle! The match is a draw!" The crowd explodes in sound, cheering and applauding the spirit of the two fighters. I jog over to Ace, out of the corner of my eye I watch Burgh do the same with Whirlipede.

Ace wakes up as I'm crouching over him. "You did incredible, Ace. That was amazing." I say, patting him on the back. Ace smiles slightly as I return him to his pokeball. I stand along with Burgh, eyeing him. He smiles, and we head back to our rightful spots on the arena. I put my hand on Angel's shoulder.

"Are you ready?" I ask. She nods, determined, then steps out on to the field. Burgh pulls out another pokeball from his belt. After giving the ball a light kiss for luck, he throws it high in the air. In a flash, a Leavanny appears in the grass.

The judge raises his flags. "Angel the Gardevoir versus Leavanny, begin."

"Leavanny, use Razor Leaf!" Burgh calls. The Bug and Grass type waves its arms, causing several dozen razor sharp leaves to appear. Directing its arms like batons, Leavanny sends the leaves flying at Angel.

"Angel, use Teleport to dodge, than Shadow Ball!" I yell. In a flash of light, Angel disappears, and I duck as the leaves fly over me. She reappears off to the right of Leavanny, sending a dark sphere of energy flying at it.

"Cut it apart with Leaf Blade!" Burgh counters. Leavanny arms elongate and sharpen as it flies forward and slashes clean through the Shadow Ball, cleaving it in two. "Now, X-Scissor!"

Leavannys arms glow white, and she runs at Angel, striking before she can react. Angel is thrown backwards into the grass, but she quickly gets to her feet.

Burgh continues. "Don't let her catch her breath! Keep using X-Scissor!"

"Angel, dodge and use Psychic to force it into the ground!" I counter. Angel ducks at the last possible second, the X-Scissor cutting off the very end of her blue bangs. As she does, her eyes glow bluish purple, and the psychokinetic energy combined with Leavanny momentum force the pokemon to faceplant into the ground.

Not wasting time, I shout. "Use Shadow Ball!" The dark energy forms and hits at point blank range, creating a huge explosion. Angel teleports to a safe distance. When the smoke and dust clear, however, Leavanny is nowhere to be seen. I'm frantically looking around when Burgh shouts.

"Leaf Storm!" He yells. Leavanny appears above Angel, glowing green, thousands of leaves flowing around her. _SHIT! The tree trunk platforms._

Leavanny yells it's name, flinging the thousands of leaves at the Gardevoir. Acting on the first thing that comes into my head, I shout.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Angel takes a moment to charge up the move, only firing as the Leaf Storm hits. The bolt is still a direct hit, and the twin screams of both pokemon taking the force of each other's point blank hits are easily heard over the explosions.

Smoke and dust cover the arena, so dense that I can't make anything out. As it starts to clear, I spot Angel and Leavanny both standing still. Both are covered in small scratches and bruises, Leavanny looks burned in a couple of spots. Both of them are breathing heavily. Suddenly Leavanny topples over, landing with a dull thud in the grass. The entire arena is completely silent for a moment.

"Leavanny is unable to battle! The winner is Angel the Gardevoir, and the victory goes to Terry and Angel!" The ref yells. The scream of the crowd is so loud that Angel actually covers her ears as she falls into the grass, exhausted. I run over to her and kneel down. I doubt she could hear anything over the crowd, so I think my praise.

 _That was the most incredible battle, Angel. You did so well. I'm proud of you._ I mentally project the words. She nods, obviously too tired to respond. I stand and help her to her feet, putting an arm around her shoulders to hold her upright. I realize a moment later that she won't be able to stand on her own, though. I carefully put my other arm around her knees and lift her up. She's lighter than I expected.

Burgh meets me in midfield, his smile taking up most of his face. He raises his hands to the crowd, motioning for them to quiet down. After a moment, they respect his wishes. He turns his attention back to me.

"That was possibly the greatest battle I've ever had, Terry. Angel, you were incredible. Terry, in recognition of your win against me, I present you with the Insect Badge." He says, smiling proudly. As my hands are full, he pins it to my jacket, along with my other badges.

"If you like, I'll give you a ride to the Pokemon Center in my personal car," he offers. "I figure it will be a long walk back, with all the swarming reporters." He continues. I nod. He returns the nod, and we join up with Alex and Callen, before we start heading back to the Gym Lobby.

We are halfway to the doors when the roof explodes.

 **Author's Note: Oh goodie, first Multi-Chapter! Gotta love them cliffhangers! Don't worry, I'll finish the second part As Soon As Possible! Happy Reading! -Orthros**


	13. Chapter XI: To Admit One's Desires (2-2)

**-Angel POV,** **FP** **-**

"Leavanny is unable to battle! The winner is Angel the Gardevoir, and the victory goes to Terry and Angel!"

I hear the ref shout. The sudden roar of the crowd is so loud that it hurts my ears, worsening the headache I received after the fight. I cover my ears with my hands and fall into the grass, unable to stand any longer due to my injuries. A moment later, Terry is at my side, supporting me in a sitting position.

" _That was the most incredible battle, Angel. You did so well. I'm proud of you."_ I hear his thoughts directed at me. I nod slightly, hardly able to keep my eyes open. He stands up, putting an arm on my shoulders to support me as well. He seems to realize at the same time I do that my legs won't support my body, though. He leans down slightly, and I feel his other arm hook under my knees. A moment later, he picks me up. I watch through tired eyes as we meet Burgh at midfield, a huge grin on his face. The Leader motions to the crowd to quiet down, and when they do, I remove my hands from my ears. He returns his attention to Terry and I.

"That was possibly the greatest battle I've ever had, Terry. Angel, you were incredible. Terry, in recognition of your win against me, I present you with the Insect Badge." He finishes, before pinning it on Terry's jacket, along with his other two badges.

The man continues, but I'm having trouble focusing. Terry agrees to whatever he had to say, and a few seconds later we are joined by Alex and Callen, walking across the arena floor.

In an instant everything is thrown into chaos.

The roof explodes, several members of the audience scream. Terry hesitates for only a moment before diving to our right, landing at the base of one of the trees. He quickly sets me down, making sure that I would be out of harm's way, then runs to midfield.

As I watch through tired eyes, his eyes glow blue, and he strains, holding what must be several thousand pounds of crumbled roof a few feet above the stands. It seems that the entire roof had started to collapse after the initial explosion. The audience members quickly get over their shock at the display of ability, racing out from under the debris. The last person gets out, and not a moment too soon, either. Terry lets his powers fade, dropping to his knees with exhaustion as the debris completely bury the stands.

"What the hell? No! Shinx, assist us! ThunderShock!" I hear the shout off to my right, and turn to see Burgh, Callen and Alex surrounded by dozens of people in Team Plasma uniforms. The trainers and Leader are fighting as best they can, Burgh had brought out a Beedrill and Pinsir. They were quickly being defeated, however. Shinx got blasted into the wall, knocked unconscious. Pinsir and Nicky followed suit, along with Beedrill. The men were thrown out of the way, and two of the plasma grunts walked towards me.

 _They're going to take me._ I suddenly realize. Tired as I was, I could only crawl backwards slowly. It's useless. I use psychic, and the grunts are pushed back, falling to the ground. Suddenly an explosion of agony throws itself through my head, my headache having been extremely agitated by the use of my powers. Seeing double, I can do nothing except fall onto my back. The grunts quickly get up and grab my arms, roughly dragging me to a nearby ladder. The tool had been dangling from a helicopter high above us.

I'm strapped to one of the grunts by a harness, and he quickly climbs up the ladder, getting into the helicopter a few minutes later. A moment later,he shoves into a corner, where no less then five more Plasma grunts hold me at gunpoint.

I can hear the fires still raging below us as the rest of the grunts start climbing the ladder. I feel tired… Just want to sleep…

But as I'm floating into blissful unconsciousness, a wave of anger, of hatred explodes through my tired head, making it impossible to drop.

It's not mine, however.

It's Terry.

The helicopter suddenly lurches as the ladder is pulled from the door so hard it takes the door, along with the machine gun that was attached to it along for the long fall with a loud crunch. Several screams follow, growing quieter quickly, silenced moments later. The chopper's pilot screams, struggling to right the vehicle. After a moment of shaking and lurching, swinging like a pendulum, we steady and the pilot starts our ascent, in moments we are flying high. I feel the emotional volcano getting nearer instead of farther, though. The men start yelling orders to each other, taking positions at the chopper doors. They start shooting, but by the sounds of their frantic voices I'm guessing none of the bullets are hitting their target.

Suddenly several of the men scream, yelling agonized cries. It's easy to see why. Several shards of rock, coated in a fading red glow, are buried in their chests, blood and bone easily visible. Several more slash through the small room. Soon there are only a couple of grunts left, along with the leader.

Out of nowhere, Terry flies into the cockpit, bathed in a red, fiery Aura. What he finds are two m16s pointed at him, and the leader using my body as a shield, her pistols cocked and forced against my temples. Terry hesitates.

"Try anything and I'll blow her brains out. The pistols will automatically fire if I let go of them." The leader snarls, pushing the barrels harder into my blue hair.

" _Do you trust me?"_ I hear his mental voice in my head. I nod ever so slightly.

A huge explosion sounds behind us, at the same time invisible hands push the pistols aim away from my head, forcing them to shoot into the grunts. Fire quickly spreads through the helicopter as Terry grabs the lady's head and gives it a terrible hit to the temple. He grabs me, looks me in the eyes for a brief moment.

" _I love you."_

Without waiting for a response, Terry jumps out of the helicopter, and suddenly we're free falling. The ground flies towards us at the speed of a truck, the wind whipping past us so fast I cannot breathe. I turn my head slightly and watch as the helicopter explodes in a fiery inferno above us, noting the huge chunk of rock that Terry must of hovered himself up here on, buried in the tail. The ground is so close. I scream.

So very close.

At the last possible second, Terry screams in defiance, throws every bit of power he can at the ground, slowing our drop to a survivable pace. He lashes out to his left at the same time, and the force turns our fatal fall into a horrible crash landing. He shields me with his body as we crash into the dirt of the arena, digging a trench across the floor.

Then it's all over.

By some miracle, I'm unharmed. I push myself off my partner, falling into the dirt next to him.

It wasn't a miracle.

Terry took every bit of force in the crash to protect me. Tears clouded my eyes as I forced myself to turn and look at him. His cast was destroyed, and he's bleeding freely, cuts and broken bones trashed all over his body.

"Next time I'll let you take some of the hit, Angel…" I hear. I look at his face, see the pain stricken smile plastered there. He's alive. The red Aura fades as I yell something intelligible and hug him, crying. I slowly inch my arms under him, lifting his back up and setting his head in my lap. Tears flow freely from my eyes as we sit there, in the rubble. It almost seems like we are being engulfed in a white light as we wait for his life to end. I suddenly realize we are actually lit up white.

My arms are glowing where I'm holding him, and I watch in wonder as the power spreads through his chest, flowing through the injuries. The skin knits itself back together, broken bones gently set back under the skin. A few minutes later, but what feels like an eternity, the soft light fades.

Terry breathes deeply and sits up, completely healed. He looks at me, his eyes lit up in wonder.

"Heal Pulse. That's a new one…" He says, a grin lighting up his face. My eyes widen as I smile slightly.

"I'm not losing you that easily, Terry…" I reply. And I know the right time is now.

"Terry… I love you." I say. He looks startled, but I carry on. "You're always there for me, you're kind, gentle, strong, and so much more. When I'm at your side… I feel so much stronger." I finish.

His face holds a momentarily confused look. Then he wraps his arms around me. He puts his lips against mine. I'm shocked at the feel, the emotion that passes between us. The kiss is soft, lingering. He gently pulls back.

"I love you too, Angel. You mean everything to me, and I will never, ever let anything happen to you." He says softly. Tears flow down my face as we embrace once more, but this time they come out of love, of the joy that flows between us.

"THERE THEY ARE!" We break apart as Alex's voice sounds through the debris. Moments later, he and several dozen people, weighed down with rescue gear and medical equipment appear. They surround us, talking over each other and noting the blood covering the ground. A few seconds later they take a step away, all looking severely confused at the fact that the pair of us are completely unharmed. Terry chuckles slightly.

"Hey Alex. It took a two thousand foot drop out of a helicopter without a parachute and a crash landing, but Angel learned Heal Pulse. Good timing, I admit…" He says, before he bursts out laughing. Alex looks so incredibly confused for a moment that I can't help but join in. He speaks up.

"Well, perhaps she did it wrong. We should check on your mental health, I think she scrambled your brain," he responds, breaking down and laughing in relief as well. One of the rescue team members mutters into a walkie talkie, before they start bombarding us with questions. We answer them, but I can tell my adrenaline is wearing off. The aching starts to return, my body complaining about the abuse it's taken in the wake of the events that happened. Terry notices as well and puts up his hand as he gets to his feet.

"I'll answer the rest of your questions after I've gotten Angel to a private room with a good bed and shower. Unfortunately, Heal Pulse only restores injuries, not energy." He states as he picks me up. Without waiting for a reply, he carries me out of the rubble, where an ambulance and crowd of officers are waiting. I spot Callen, who appears unharmed, and Burgh, whose being treated for multiple cuts along his chest and arms. They wave to us, shouting in relief that we're ok.

A few minutes of questioning later, during which I slipped in and out of consciousness, We are in an ambulance, heading towards the Pokemon Center. I'm laying on the gurney, spots of darkness dancing in my vision as I struggle to remain conscious. Terry strokes my forehead, letting our bond flow with comforting thoughts. The car pulls up and opens it's back door. Terry gently picks me up and walks through the door of the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy, having seen the event unfold on live TV, directed us through to a private room before the dense crowd in the lobby could start bothering us.

Terry walks through the room as Joy closes the door behind us. He sets me on the bed, covering me with the soft blankets. "You're safe. Go to sleep, and I'll talk to you soon. I love you, Angel." He whispers softly.

He pulls up a chair next to me and softly strokes my forehead. I feel so drained… But peaceful and joyful as well. A few minutes later, Blissful unconsciousness pulls me into a comforting dreamland.

 **-Two days later, Terry POV-**

I've never felt more alive. When we laid in the rubble after the landing, Angel saved my life. Not only that, she admitted her love to me.

I returned the truth to her. Now we're a couple.

Sadly, she has been asleep for the last couple of days. I'm not at all surprised at that, she was so incredibly drained. So I was truly happy when she appeared in the Pokemon Center lobby. She looked so beautiful, all I could do was smile. I had been talking with Alex and Callen, but we fell silent as she approached us.

I embraced her as she arrived, planting a soft kiss on her lips. She tasted sweet, although I resisted the urge to keep the show of affection lasting long. We would take it at our own pace, one step at a time.

I had admitted my love to Angel to Alex and Callen prior, thankfully, so they didn't interrupt. I smile softly, releasing the girl and pokemon of my dreams and sitting on the couch with her. She leans on my shoulder, sighing contentedly.

"I take it you slept well, than?" I ask her. She smiles slightly.

"Yes, thanks. How long was I out for?" Angel responds.

I shrug a little. "Just over two days. I'm not surprised, to be honest. You were really depleted. I talked to Alex and Callen, we agreed that the next Gym is in Nimbasa City. We can head there tomorrow." I finish.

Angel nods slightly. "So what about today's plans, than? Relax and enjoy the few moments we get not being attacked?" She jokes, laughing.

I join in, our emotions flowing between us better than they ever have before. "Yes, that's the plan. It's about 6pm now. How about the four of us get dinner together?" I offer. She smiles happily, agreeing.

We walk among the crowds, and I note how, even with constant staring and flow of people flowing past us in the streets, Angel doesn't waver. Neither do I. We feel so confident. It's a good feeling.

I plant a soft peck on her cheek. She blushes slightly.

"I love you, Angel."

 **Author's Note: Sorry it took so long! I feel like I kind of butchered this Chapter ending, so if it gets updated, be sure to reread it, because the only reason it would happen is for additions to the rest of the Chapter. Anyway… Love has been admitted between the pair, and in the wake of the recent events, life moves forward. Thanks so much to everyone for the support, we reached 2,000 views this morning! I'll do my best to get Chapter XII out by Saturday, although like I said previously, I strive for Quality, not Quantity. Thanks, and Happy Reading! -Orthros**


	14. Chapter XII: Winter's Warning

**-Angel's POV,** **FP** **-**

Ahh. The food here is great. Alex, Callen, Terry and I went out for dinner after I woke from my two day slumber. Thankfully, Terry's parents taught me how to use a fork with my hands, otherwise it would have been rather embarrassing…

Terry leans back slightly, having finally finished. "That was excellent. How was yours, Alex?" The younger boy smiles slightly, having inhaled his meal rather quickly.

"It was wonderful, thanks Terry." He responds. Callen repeats the praise as one of the waiters walks by, dropping the bill on the table with a smile. As she was walking away, however, she cast a rather distrusting look at me. Not wanting this to ruin my evening, however, I smile as we start to get up. Terry walks off for a moment to pay the bill, Alex and Callen grab their bags.

Terry returns, planting a light kiss on my cheek as he does so. Our group talks softly to each other, heading towards the door. As we do, though, the waitress that looked at me earlier returned. Trailing behind her was a man in a fancy looking suit, a gold name tag with the title "Manager," written across it in cursive. The man walks casually in front of us, and Terry stops, politely letting him pass. Except he doesn't. He stands rather close to Terry, crossing his arms in an annoyed fashion. Terry's eyes narrow just slightly.

"Is something wrong, Sir?" He asks, keeping a polite but firm, clear voice. The question carries over the restaurant, and other conversations stutter to a halt. The man backs up slightly, knowing he can't try anything now that the attention is on him. He clears his throat loudly and speaks in an authoritative but snooty voice.

"Did I just see you kiss your pokemon, kid? Pokephilia is against the law, buddy." He says, sounding confident. Terry just sighs slightly, shaking his head.

"If you knew the law, than you would know that Angel and I are completely allowed to do so, according to the exceptions. And by the way," he adds, sounding rather angry. "Don't you dare talk about her, or my other friends, as if they are below you. When I look at Angel, I see a partner, an equal, not a pet. Now unless you have anything else to say, I would like to ask that you move, and allow my friends and I to leave," he finishes coolly.

The man seems dumbfounded at being told off by a 15 year old, but moves nonetheless. Terry and I, with Alex and Callen in our wake, pass by and head to the doors. As we are heading out, though, he speaks up again.

"Don't you come back, you slutty excuse for a trainer." I hear the words and turn, a small, dark sphere of energy appearing in my palm. The man backs up half a step, knowing he took it too far. As I'm about to toss, however, Terry puts his arm across my front, halting me. He shakes his head.

"He's not worth it, Angel. Besides, you know the truth about me. If I was slutty, it would have been rude, yes. But I'm not, and all he is doing is making himself look stupider. Now, let's go. By the way," he adds, turning his attention to the manager. "If you insult either Angel or myself again before we're out of earshot, I'll be the one to slap the seven shades of shit out of you, not her." He finishes, his voice harsh and full of menace, but still keeping a calm tone. Without another word, he turns on heel and marches out the doors. I hesitate for a moment before allowing the Shadow Ball to dissipate as I start levitating and follow him, Alex and Callen on my heels.

 **-Terry POV-**

I'm walking slightly ahead of our group, feet falling rather hard on the sidewalk, taking deep breaths. _That bastard for a manager. What an ass._

I realize I'm doing a rather bad job at calming down, and try to focus a little more. I feel a soft hand on my shoulder and turn to see Angel, a sad smile on her face. I sigh, letting go of my troubled emotions. Angel looks at me with her shockingly orange eyes.

"What exactly is 'pokephilia?'" She asks, her voice sounding in the back of my head like a soft bell.

I rub the back of my neck slightly, glad that it's dark, because I was probably blushing. I always forget that as much as I do consider Angel my equal, she IS still a pokemon and doesn't know all the terms humans use.

"It's a term humans use that refers to a Human-Pokemon Relationship, usually the physical aspect, not emotional." When she continued to look confused, I sighed. "He was referring to you and me kissing, and the possibility that we have had sex before. 'Slutty' is a term that stands for someone who has sex with anyone, person or pokemon, he or she can, regardless of the relationship with the person." I finish, sadly.

I sense her emotions recoil at the explanation, and quickly add "That doesn't mean we do it! He was just trying to get the last word in, Angel. He's probably going to be reported by his security and get fired, anyway, alright? Don't worry about it." I finish.

She nods, relaxing. Thankfully, before the situation can become more somber than it already is, we arrive at the Pokemon Center. Alex grabs our room key and we head up the stairs, ignoring the looks from the other people in the room. Our suite consists of two rooms, with a door separating them, which I'm thankful for. We take the farther room from the exit.

I unpack a change of clothes, before turning to the bathroom. Angel is already at the door, but glances at me. I nod, motioning for her to go ahead. She smiles happily, entering the small area and closing the door behind her. I lay on the bed, hands behind my head, sighing as I relax. After a few minutes, a soft knock sounds on the door that separates Callen and Alex from us. Furrowing my eyebrows in concern, I hop off the bed and open the door. Alex stands there in his pajamas, an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry for bothering you, Terry, but you have a visitor." He says softly. I glance at the clock, which reads 10:45 PM. _Now who the hell would visit us at this time of night…_

I thank Alex and walk past him and Callen, poking my head out into the hallway. A woman in her late 30s, with black, shoulder length hair and a content look stares back, eyes gleaming silver.

"Oh, Katie. It's nice to see you again," I state in greeting, holding out my hand. She smiles slightly, shaking it.

"Same to you, Terry," she responds softly. "I've got a rather important subject to talk to you about, if you wouldn't mind walking with me." She continues. Without waiting for a response, she walks off, pointing a 'follow me' gesture over her back. Not sure what to think, but knowing it wouldn't be hostile either, I trail behind her.

We walk down a couple of hallways, past endless doors, some of which muffle tired snores. A moment later, we arrive at a set of steps, which are quickly climbed. At the top, a sliding glass door is found, which Katie walks through, and I follow. The pair of us end up on a small balcony overlooking the dusty battle arena that is spread out behind the Center. Katie pulls up a couple of chairs and sits, gesturing for me to do so as well. I comply.

She sighs for a moment, enjoying the peace. Then she speaks. "I'm sorry for springing this on you with all the events that have happened recently, but the sooner the better. Congrats on coupling with Angel, by the way," She adds, smiling. I just nod, waving a hand for her to continue.

"Angel evolved about five days ago, right?" She asks. After I nod slightly, she continues. "Alright. You know the general pokedex entry for Gardevoir, right?"

I nod once again. "Yes, but I'll refresh myself just in case." I respond, taking out my pokedex from my back pocket. I tap a couple times, bringing up a list of basic entries from over the years of research and select the one I like most. The device begins speaking in a robotic, manufactured voice.

 **Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokemon. It apparently does not feel the pull of gravity because it supports itself with psychic power. It will give it's life to protect its trainer, without hesitation.**

"And that's the topic." Katie says. "Well, not necessarily. More along the lines of protecting their trainer in general. In Angel's case, that's you. At this stage in your bond, Angel is becoming much more independent. Because you have displayed positive emotions and welcomed her into your life, as well as protected her, she knows that, now that she can, she will start defending you as well. Now, a lot of people know about that." She says, before growing extremely serious. "But what most people DON'T know is that there is a small part of their brain, plans literally coded into their DNA, that forces this upon them. Now don't get me wrong, she IS protecting you because she wants to. But, the main thing I wanted to talk to you about is what happens if they fail to uphold this… Promise to themselves." She trails off, sounding rather scared.

I lean forward, suddenly nervous. "What are you talking about?"

She furrows her eyebrows, sounding hesitant. "I don't know exactly how to explain it… Let me use you as an example. Say Angel was a Kirlia still, she hadn't evolved quite yet. If I were to slap you across the face as hard as I possibly could, Angel wouldn't be affected at all, because this instinct does not start developing until evolution. So now it's been about five days. If I were to do that, I could literally count to three and you would see Angel visibly wince." She pauses for a moment to let that sink in. When it does, my eyes widen slightly. Katie just nods sadly.

"Any pain you feel will be reflected upon her, in the form of a headache or similar. It's as if her mind and emotions are telling her 'You failed to protect Terry, and he got hurt. This is your punishment.' It gets worse, too. The development takes a little over two months to completely develop, on average. Since your a couple, it might develop faster, I don't know. My point is, when it's completely developed, if I slapped you it would be similar to hitting Angel in the face with a truck at 100 miles an hour." She finishes, folding her hands in her lap, looking somber.

I'm stunned. Trying to focus a little, I respond. "So you're saying if I so much as fell down the stairs I could hurt her?" Katie shakes her head.

"No, in the 18ish years I've studied this kind of thing, it seems that the injury had to be received from someone or something that intended to do harm. So if you fell on your own accord, then no it wouldn't hurt her. If someone pushed you, on the other hand, yes. Luckily, I'm not here with all bad news." She adds as I shake my head, shocked. She pulls out a book from her purse. It's small, travel sized.

"This is a copy of my notes from studying and developing ways to combat that instinct. Try to learn these techniques by heart, and drill enough to do them on instinct. That way, if you ever get hurt, you can protect Angel from sharing your pain." Katie finishes. She rises from my chair, as do I. I shake my head slightly and embrace the older woman. She seems slightly shocked by the show of affection, but returns it nonetheless.

We break apart and she smiles slightly. "I'm glad I was able to catch you. This is one of the many things I do for a living; make sure trainers and their partners have the tools needed to continue on with life without worry. Good luck, Terry." She finishes, before taking a pokeball from her necklace. In a flash of light, an Alakazam appears. We exchange nods before Katie puts a hand on Charlie's shoulder. In a flash of purplish white light, the pair vanish into the night.

I reenter our allowed room a few minutes later, extremely deep in thought. I wave distractedly to Alex and Callen, heading straight through to my room and shutting the door behind me. I pull out a pair of pajamas from my bag at random, sighing slightly as I open the door the bathroom. What follows is Angel staring at me, completely naked for about half a second, before she screams and sends a telekinetic blast at me, pushing me out and slamming the door. Moaning slightly, I hold my forehead in my hands, laying there on the floor. I try my best to burn the image from my mind, but unfortunately it's already stuck itself there extremely well.

 _Well... Shit._

I suppose I earned it, I should have knocked.

 _...That's going to be a hard one to explain to dad…_

 **Author's Note: Again, I feel like I butchered this chapter slightly, but I felt it important to point out this development, as it plays a key role in the rest of the story (sorry for the spoiler but it's true…) Big Thanks to Zenxolu for pointing out an issue with then/than, I'll do my best to keep that from coming up again. Thanks for all the support, Enjoy, and Happy Reading! -Orthros**


	15. Chapter XIII: The Dawn of Evolution 1-2

**Author's Note: I've decided to just hold off on Lemon content for now, at least until I figure out a style of writing that would suit it well. My main reasoning for this is that, at this point, doing a Lemon chapter would ruin the emotional aspect of the story, regardless of how I word it. Perhaps in the future. I would still love to hear your opinions, though, so if you have them feel free to send me a Private Message (PM) and I'll take it into consideration. More importantly, a recent PM from another novice writer on this site really warmed my heart today. He enjoys the story a lot and it inspired him to start his own Pokemon World related story. Once it comes out, I'll link his profile, as well as his story, on my profile. I'm putting this out there because I only started writing to do it as a fun hobby, and it blows my mind that so many people enjoy it. I mean, over 3300 views! The love and support from you guys means the world to me, I mean it. Without further ado, Enjoy, and Happy Reading! -Orthros**

 **-11:30 PM, Angel's POV-**

"What was so important that it made you forget I was in the shower?!" I asked, my tone of voice barely masking my embarrassed rage. Terry sat on our soft, squishy hotel bed, holding his face in his hands. A huge, angry welt already sat grumpily upon his forehead, where the door's hard wooden face had hit it. The rest of his face was still beet red, and he refused to look me in the eyes. Granted, I probably looked like a tomato as well, but that didn't change the fact that he walked in on me while I was changing.

Terry stays silent for a moment, his emerald eyes staring anywhere but at me. When he speaks, his voice is soft, nervous. "Katie Winters came… She dropped a rather large info bomb on me. I was considering outcomes…" He sadly trails off. I feel my anger fade a fraction at this. Taking a moment to read his emotions, I'm shocked to see that his embarrassment has bled into a mixture of depression and fear. With my anger completely depleted, I float slowly over and sit down next to him. The few times he got depressed before we left on our Journey, his mother would always sit next to him, nothing more. Feeling as though my presence was significant enough, I attempt the same tactic.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, he speaks again, his voice quiet and filled with worry. "Katie explained a recent research discovery with Gardevoir and their partners." He hesitates for a moment, as though willing himself to go on. "Apparently we're at a stage where you're going to start getting much more independant. She said that upon evolution, a Gardevoir's mind makes an instinctual choice; 'Will I defend my trainer, or will I let him or her defend themselves?' It's supposedly based off the memories and events that happened prior, the level of love between the two. The point, Angel, is that your mind has said yes." He stops speaking and shivers violently, still looking anywhere but in my eyes.

I'm rather confused, having been raised with humans rather than my own kind in the wild, I hadn't heard about this. "What's the problem with choosing yes, then? Surely I can defend my trainer if I want to…" I quiet down as my boyfriend shakes his head slowly.

"The problem isn't with that, Angel. I feel honored that you would defend me, I really am. What I have a problem with," Terry finally looks me in the eyes, his vibrant green orbs staring at me with an intensely serious and scared look upon them. "Is that now, if I get hurt, any pain I experience will be given to you, as a punishment for failing to uphold this 'promise to yourself,' to rephrase what Katie said." I put my hand over my mouth, half hiding the horrified expression that I'm sure sat there. "She said it would get worse, too. It will be completely developed within two months, and at that point pain would be multiplied a hundredfold. I'm terrified…" He trails off once again, tears dotting his eyes.

I'm shocked. True, I had felt a couple of random pains while we were at the Gym, but I had put that off to shock and tiredness from everything that had happened with Team Plasma. What scares me more, though, is what Terry might do to himself to prevent me from getting injured. Placing my soft, blue hand upon his sturdy, human one, I squeeze gently. Turning his head with my other hand, I plant a kiss on his lips. It's delicate, yet filled with emotion. When we slowly break apart, I speak.

"We'll get through it. I promise, Terry." I whisper, yet filling my voice with a commanding confidence. His features morph into a grateful expression, like he needed someone to tell him that. Smiling slightly, I notice a small, leather book in his back pocket. "What's this?" I ask, pulling it out with my telekinesis.

Upon seeing the book, Terry's face fills with such a relieved expression that I almost think the little thing must be a diamond in disguise. "I… I forgot about that. Katie gave it to me. It's a copy of the notes she took while trying to combat that instinct. She has a few techniques we should try, so I can prevent you from sharing my pain." I shake my head, chuckling at his forgetfulness. Without a word, I stand and take the book over to our bags. Opening the zipper, I stow it safely away with our items.

I smile shyly as I lay back on the bed, letting the tension flow out of my tired body. Terry lays down next to me, covering us with the comforter. Sighing contentedly, the pair of us fall into a deep, rejuvenating sleep, holding each other in our arms.

 **-Next Morning, Angel's POV-**

I awake, groggy but refreshed, to empty covers. Sitting up, I start stretching my stiff legs and arms. I take a moment to to scan the cozy area with my mind, and sense Terry, Alex, and Callen mingling in the other room. After rubbing the sleep from my orange eyes, I head to the door, stopping momentarily to get a brush from Terry's pack as I do so. As my hands were busy returning my blue hair to a respectable fashion, I used my telekinesis, reaching out with mental hands to open the door. Alex, Terry and Nicky are sitting on one of the two beds, talking quietly. Callen appears to be having a conversation with Shinx. I'm surprised at how well the boy can understand his partner, despite not having Telepathy.

Terry hears the door squeak and looks up, sees me and smiles. "Morning, Angel. How'd you sleep?" He asks politely in greeting.

"I slept ok." I respond, grinning back. "So, what's the plan? Nimbasa is next on the list, right?" I question my friends.

Terry shrugs slightly. "Actually, that's up in the air at present. Check this out." He waves me over, pulling out his Pokedex as he does so. I casually float over and sit down next to him, opposite Alex, leaning my head lazily on his shoulder. He gives me a slight sideways grin and shows me the Dex screen. The monitor reveals a large poster with an arena like structure, along with several strong pokemon around the sides, using their various moves.

"It's an announcement for the annual Castelia City Pokemon Battle set date is a week from now. Would you like to participate?" He asks me, a slightly energetic tone to his voice.

I nod, smiling wide. "A chance to show off our skills? That's a chance I'll take!" I say, excited to have a chance to prove myself.

Terry grins at my eagerness. "I thought you would say that, so I went ahead and registered us. Alex and Callen are joining as well. We've a week to train. I heard that people often battle in midtown, perhaps we should go find us some challengers. Callen, Alex, will you join us?" He questions the younger trainers. The pair nod, grinning.

A few minutes later, we exit the Pokemon Center's front doors, having packed up our few belongings. I felt slightly intimidated by the swelling crowds, but I don't think it showed. We headed up one of the four main streets, talking casually to each other and greeting the many passerby on their routes. To our great surprise, many people recognized us as the team that drove off Team Plasma from the Gym, and we ended up getting stopped about halfway there to explain our side of the story to the crowd. I was glad that Terry kept it vague, simply saying that their main objective was to capture me and that he and his friends stopped them. As we were just about to make our escape, though, a pedestrian spoke up.

"The news leaked footage this morning. It showed you two falling out of the helicopter after it exploded… You fell at least two thousand feet, and neither of you had parachutes. How did you survive?" I scanned the faces, trying to find the speaker, but to no avail.

Terry held a conflicted facial expression for a few long seconds, before sighing heavily. "I used Telekinesis to slow our fall at the last second, as well as push us to the side. It turned the fall into a crash landing, but it was survivable. Nonetheless," he adds to the astonished crowd. "I wouldn't have made it out alive if Angel hadn't learned and used Heal Pulse on me at the last second. She's the reason I'm walking today, not my own actions." He finishes, sending me a small smile. I blush slightly, but at the same time I don't prefer the sudden attention, being thrust into the spotlight. It takes him a moment to realize his mistake, and he quickly speaks up once again. "Anyway, we're kinda busy. We are heading to midtown to do some battles, but I wouldn't mind answering more questions during breaks." I feel relieved as the crowd starts dispersing, most headed towards the town square as well.

A few minutes of crowded walking later, we arrived at the square. Granted, it was a circle, but if I remember, the term for the main mingling area in a town or city is referred to as "Town Square." Regardless, there's plenty to see. People and pokemon are all over the place, sitting in the shade of the buildings or up against trees, relaxing, having fun. An elaborate stone fountain sits in the middle, raining it's crystal clear water into its many beautiful pools. The most interesting part is the battle, though.

Two pokemon clashed, powerful attacks being traded over and over. One of them, a small knine like figure with soft, light brown fur with a shaggy white mane and large, brown ears and eyes, fighting on the ground, evading the Wing Attack currently being used by the other, a blue batlike pokemon with purple on the underside of it's wings and a fanged mouth that took up most of it's face.

A gruff voice shouted above the loudly cheering crowd. "Alright Golbat, use Air Slash!" The voice belonged to a man in his late thirties, wearing blue jeans and a sleeveless, black t shirt. His blue eyes seemed menaceful, hard as rock.

Golbat screeched loudly and flapped it's wings hard, causing several saw blade shaped gusts of wind to slice out of the air, aimed at the Eevee. The attack scored a direct hit, causing the girl to get thrown off the ground, before heavily landing at her trainer's feet in a heap, unable to continue. The trainer, a girl in her early teens, wearing red shorts and a white shirt, picked up her Eevee, whispering praise to it. After a moment, she returned the injured, tired pokemon to her ball in a flash of red light. Turning her head to the older man, she nodded in respect.

"That was a good battle, Mister. Thanks!" She says, before speeding off into the crowd.

The man smiles slightly, seemingly amused by the girl's antics. "Anyone else?" He shouts to the crowd. Terry starts forward, but Alex grips his shoulder.

"May I?" He asks, smiling cockily. Terry returns the grin as he returns to the crowd, allowing Alex and Nicky to melt into the spotlight.

The man takes notice of Alex, giving a sideways grin to the child. "Well, hello! What's your name, kid?" He questions in greeting. Alex responds, sounding confident. The man chuckles heartily. "Well, Alex, my name is Devin, and this is my partner, Golbat. Show us a good battle!"

 **-Alex's POV-**

As I take my position across the small, circular field, I can't help but feel excited. True, we haven't gotten as strong as Terry and Angel, but Nicky and I have been practicing really hard. This is a chance to show off the remarkable progress we've made. Nicky jumps off my shoulder and lands lightly on the ground in front of me. At the same time, Devin's Golbat, having eaten some Sitrus berries to recover his energy, enters the arena as well. A voice rings out over the echoing crowd.

"I'll serve as referee, if that's alright with you two." The voice comes from Terry, who has made his way to midfield, off to the side. Angel stands next to him, looking nervous from the attention but standing tall nonetheless. I wave my hand in recognition. Devin raises his eyebrows slightly, but otherwise just nods.

Terry, having received confirmation, speaks once again. "The battle between Alex and Devin is about to start! The battle will be a one on one, and the fight is over when one side is unable to go on! Begin!"

I shout, "Nicky, use Magical Leaf!"

The Kirlia spreads his hands, causing several scythe shaped leaves to appear out of thin air. Directing his arms like a baton, he slings the gravity defying blades at Golbat. Without waiting for a command, Golbat dives downwards, speeding towards the concrete. The leaves, with a mind of their own, follow him into the steep decline, but Golbat pulls out at the last second, allowing them to smash into the concrete as he glides right above it.

"Golbat, Air Slash!" Devin returns. Several saw blade shaped slices of wind fly out from it's wings. Nicky cartwheels forward, gracefully ducking and flipping over them, skillfully dodging each and every one. I was excited by his nimbleness, but my positivity was short lived. "Get in close, Golbat! Use Poison Fang!"

"No! Nicky, dodge it!" Too late, however. Golbat latched onto the young Kirlia, sinking it's purple stained fangs deep into his thin, white chest. Nicky screamed, and I watched as a bit of blood leaked down from his chest, dotting the ground. I knew the wound wasn't fatal, but that didn't keep me from becoming worried for his safety. Trying to force my shellshocked brain to think, I shook my head.

Then it hit me like a train. "Nicky! Thunderbolt!" I screamed. Miraculously, he was able to concentrate enough to charge the move. Golbat was caught directly in its path, getting thrown off in the discharge. He slammed into the ground a few feet away, sparking and smoking.

Not wasting any time, I continued. "Shadowball!" A small, spherical orb of condensed shadows formed in his hands. Nicky slinged the ball somewhat clumsily at Golbat. It hit the bat squarely in the back of his head, erupting over it in a ring of dark energy. After a moment, the smoke faded, leaving Golbat unconscious in a heap.

"Golbat is unable to battle! The winner is Nicky the Kirlia, and the battle goes to Alex and Nicky!" Terry quickly speaks up. As he does, Angel floats over to Nicky, quickly putting her blue hands over his chest. I run up behind her, am about to speak but abruptly halt at the scene. Bright white light flows from the Gardevoir's blue hands, flowing over Nicky's weak body in rings of energy. After a few moments, Nicky's gory wounds are sealed, though he's still dizzy from poisoning. I pick him up, holding my brother against my chest. Terry hands me a pecha berry, which I quickly hand to the Kirlia. He nibbles on it, and slowly but surely, the fever and purplish outline on his forehead vanishes.

Angel turns to Golbat and heals him too, erasing the bruises and burns he received. The bat gives Angel a nod of thanks when she finishes, and flies up to perch on Devin's shoulder. The serious looking Trainer stroked Golbat for a moment, deep in thought.

Suddenly his faces splits into a wide grin, and he holds out his hand. "Well, Alex! I suppose that was a bit of a game changer, that thunderbolt. Nicky is extremely powerful, and I quite enjoyed our battle. A quick question, though," he adds. "Nicky is a male, correct?"

I'm a little confused as to where he's going with this, but before I can speak up, Nicky replies with Telepathy. "Yes, I am."

Devin looks surprised for a moment, before regaining face. "I didn't know you were able to talk with Telepathy, or I would have asked you directly. Sorry about that. Anyway, my point is, I found something in Chargestone cave that might be of use to you. It has no value to me." He reaches into his pack, and what he pulls out nearly causes me to fall over in surprise.

He's holding a shard of Dawn Stone in his palm. I'm speechless, and so is Nicky. After several moments, The man chuckles and throws the shard to someone at my right. I turn to see Terry catch it. He's laughing slightly, grinning at me.

"What, Alex? You need a slap or something?" He asks heartily. His voice snaps me out of my shock and I quickly turn to Devin.

"I really don't know what to say… Thanks!" I say, shaking his hand. Turning my head to Nicky, I speak up again. "What do you think, Nicky? Is now the time?" I ask.

To my surprise though, Nicky doesn't respond immediately. He stares at the Dawn Stone in Terry's hand, completely silent, and I notice his mind close slightly, restricting my access to his emotions for the first time in years. Devin speaks up.

"I'm not surprised that he's nervous, to be honest. Being given the chance to evolve out of nowhere is rather startling, for any pokemon. Give him a few hours to think on it. That was a great battle, Alex. Please consider that shard your reward for winning. Perhaps we'll see each other in the Tournament next week, eh?" He adds, before returning his tired Golbat to his pokeball, placing his strong hands behind his neck and starts walking off, casually whistling.

 **-6 PM, Angel POV-**

Arceus above, I'm tired. Terry, Axinite, Ace and I all trained and battled all day, taking several trips to the Pokemon Center and the quickheal machines in the process. Even so, I feel extremely drained as I fall onto the hotel bed, having washed and dried prior. Alex and Callen had fought several times as well, and it turns out that Callen has a couple of friends we hadn't met yet, Oshawott and Litleo. Terry chuckles at my tired antics as he turns on the TV, quietly listening to the news from one of the armchairs next to me.

"You did well, you know. Everyone did." He says simply, selecting the channel. I just nod, relaxing.

"Angel?" I hear a few minutes later. I turn my head to see Alex in the doorway, a small frown on his face.

"Yes? What is it, Alex?" I ask with Telepathy, sitting up.

"Nicky wants to talk to you, alone. Is that OK?"

"Yes, of course! Have him meet me on the balcony out here." I respond. I have a feeling I know what this is about, and in truth I'm not at all surprised that he's going to me rather then Alex.

A few silent minutes later, we are on the small balcony that accompanies the Pokemon Center room we're using. I sit silently on the carpet, waiting for my brother to speak. True, he isn't my brother, but he's been with me for so long and we're so close that he might as well be.

"I don't know what to do with the Dawn Stone." Nicky finally mutters, looking at his feet.

"Nicky…" I trail off for a moment, looking at him sadly. "If you don't want to evolve yet, you don't have too. It's your choice, and Alex will back you up on it, I'm sure." I say, trying to console him.

Nicky sighs. "I knew you would say that." He says, sounding dejected. "I want to become stronger, but I'm completely unsure what to do. Thing is, I can become both a Gallade AND a Gardevoir. I know I'm strong enough to evolve into both. Hell, if I concentrated hard enough, I could evolve right now, I bet anything. I just don't know what I should do. I don't get to retry this. Once it's done, it's done." He finishes.

I use my telekinesis to lift his chin, forcing him to look at me. "Nicky. If you don't know what to do, don't choose. Stay as you are until you're sure. To be honest though, You should run the question by Alex. Let him know that you're concerned. Good luck." I finish, before releasing him, standing quickly and floating off without another word. I know it sounded kinda cruel, but if I know Nicky at all, he'll take it most at heart if I do it this way.

 **-A Few Minutes later-**

My bed feels as soft as ever as I lay in Terry's arms, PR working great for both of us. As I feel myself drifting off, our door opens. Alex and Nicky quickly but silently walk through, leaving our room for the balcony a moment later. I smile slightly, knowing my advice worked.

Dreamland takes me away soon after.


	16. Chapter XIII: The Dawn of Evolution 2-2

"Sometimes, when we are helping out our friends, it is in fact the opposite: They help us. More often, however, we help each other, even if we don't know we're doing it." -Orthros

 **Real friends won't stop helping you if you ask them, even if they act like they are going to.**

 **Real friends will stand by your side till the bitter end, even if they seem like they're going to.**

 **Real friends would follow you to the depths of Hell and back, even if they don't want to.**

 **So if a stranger pulls you to your feet...**

 **...Know that said stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.**

 **-Orthros**

 **-11 PM, Alex POV-**

"I'm glad you told me about this." I say softly. Looking out over the curved iron railing, Castelia City's skyscrapers tower above us, filling the night with light from their glow. Kelly snores softly from her blanket, which she insisted on dragging out here to sleep on. It isn't the Lillipup sleeping in the corner that I am talking to, though. Nicky stands on the small porch table next to me, looking me in the eyes for the first time since Devin gave us the Dawn Stone. The Kirlia nods numbly, having finally admitted his concerns to me.

He sighs sadly, speaking to me with Telepathy. "Yeah… I didn't want to, to be honest…"

I put a soft hand on his shoulder. I may only be ten, but I might as well be Nicky's father, even if we consider each other brothers. "I suppose Angel is the reason I'm hearing this, then." He simply nods. "I'm glad you have both her and me to talk to, Nicky. But please. If there's something this big bothering you, you should know that I'll give you a hand."

The Kirlia looks up to me, and without a word we embrace. After a few minutes, we break apart. I pick up Kelly's sleeping form, and without a word, Nicky and I head back inside. We step silently through the room, not wanting to wake Terry and Angel, who are sharing a bed. The situation is kind of awkward, but I shove down the nerves I get at seeing them and head through the door that separates the hotel room that Callen and I share from theirs.

Callen looks tired, dark circles under his eyes. Nonetheless, he's still up. He is making sure his pokemon are comfortable on the extra blankets Nurse Joy brought up for them, finishing as I get into the other of the two beds. He climbs into his a moment later, and hits the lights without another word.

Nicky and I fall asleep soon after.

 **-Next Day, 8 AM, Alex's POV-**

I wake up first, having slept fairly well, as usual. Nicky is still asleep, so I quietly slip out of bed and get dressed. By the time I am outfitted in casual clothing, Nicky has woken up and is ready to go. An idea pops into my head, and I turn to the Kirlia.

"Hey, Nicky. What do you think about walking around town today on our own?" I ask him excitedly, but quietly. Nicky grins wide, and with that I perch my brother on my shoulder. After writing a quick note on a napkin and taping it to the door, Nicky and I, with Kelly in her pokeball, head out.

Stepping outside the Pokemon Center, I feel the brisk morning wind sweeping off the skyscrapers. It feels great, waking me up quickly. We walk down the sidewalk, simply enjoying each other's company, headed to midtown. Breathing the crisp, cool morning air, I feel alive again. Nicky's invigorated emotions fly through my head, showing his content feelings as well. We exchange grins.

Even though it's still early morning, many people are about, headed to their destinations. No one questions a ten year old boy with a Kirlia walking down the sidewalk, enjoying the peace. A few minutes later, Nicky and I arrive in the city circle. A few people are about, though most are just passing through.

I sit on the edge of the fountain, Nicky still perched on my shoulder. The citizens walk by, heading to their various activities. A couple of boys, maybe a few years older then me, walk past, and I hear a snippet of their conversation.

"-guy Terry isn't the only trainer with a Shiny Pokemon around here, apparently…" My eyes widen and I quickly wave to the pair of kids. They walk over and introduce themselves as Arnold and Troy.

"My name's Alex, and this is my partner, Nicky. You said something about a guy named Terry? He's the one with the Shiny Gardevoir, right?" I ask, playing dumb. If I revealed that I traveled with Terry, I would end up with a crowd wanting me to get interviews, so I kept it vague. Troy nods.

"Yeah, apparently a guy here in Castelia City was seen with a Shiny Braixen the other day. No one knows him, but people think he lives here because he seemed to know the streets really well. Man, Shiny pokemon. It would be cool to have one…" Troy says. Arnold glances at his wristwatch.

"Damn! We'll be late! Come on, Troy! Bye Alex, nice meeting you!" Arnold exclaims, before taking off in the direction of a large school building, Troy on his heels.

I wave after them, then notice Alex subconsciously rubbing his chest. It seemed like the same spot where he got bit by Golbat yesterday. I furrow my eyebrows with concern. "Does it still hurt? I thought Angel fixed you up pretty well." I ask him.

Nicky shakes his head and forces himself to stop. "No, it doesn't. I'm just a little nervous… That's all…" He trails off, silent for a moment. I try to speak up, but as I'm about to, he suddenly jabs a finger to his lips. I shut up, noticing his mind spread. He's looking for something, maybe something he heard.

Suddenly, out nowhere, I feel his emotional state take a wild turn, shifting from content to anger and panic so quickly that I visibly flinch, putting a hand up to my temple.

"Dammit, Nicky! What's the problem!" I say loudly, receiving a few stares from passerby. Nicky doesn't answer, instead he jumps off my shoulder and runs off, heading down a side alley. "Wait up!" I shout as I fly off the fountain and race after him, dodging pedestrians as I do so.

In moments I reach the alley, only knowing where Nicky is because we're in sync enough for me to pinpoint his location. As I slowly catch up to him through the maze of buildings, zigzagging around corners, I start to hear a couple of voices.

"-Was an easy battle! How could you lose, you worthless excuse for a pokemon!" I hear. The words almost make me fall over, but I manage to keep my footing as I hone in on the source that Nicky had sensed. Moments later, I catch up to Nicky, who is crouched behind a trash can on a corner of a small, dirty street. I slow down and kneel behind him, trying as hard as I can to slow my breathing silently.

Nicky turns around, looking at me. His eyes are filled with so much anger and hate that I almost shrink under his gaze.

"Look," is all he says.

I peek my head around the trash can, and what I see turns my blood cold. A rather short, muscular man dressed in an expensive looking tuxedo is standing, facing away from me. Off to his right, laying on it's back, is a small pokemon. From the form, it looks like a Riolu. But something's wrong. Where blue fur should be, it's snow white, and the grayish black masklike fur has turned pitch, charcoal black. The spots on the backs of it's hands were colored like gold, rather than white.

"What the hell…" I mutter to myself. The few shiny Riolu whose existence had been recorded, they were colored with Gold overall coloring, not much other difference. My confusion was answered moments later by the continuation of the trainer's outraged lecture.

"Team Plasma was supposed to make you stronger with their experiments, and here you are, unable to beat even a measly little Patrat! I should send your sorry ass back to their labs so they can teach you a lesson." He threatens. The Riolu let out a panicked wail, crawling backwards away from its trainer. By the sound of her voice, I figure it was a female. As she slowly moved, I saw blood smears on the dirty cement.

 _She's injured…_

"Or better yet, let you die here where you lay!" He suddenly shouts, taking out a pokeball from his pocket. Tossing it on the ground at his feet, the enraged trainer stomps on the device, crushing it into tiny bits. Without another word, he strides past the injured Riolu, walking down another alley exit and out of sight.

The instant the trainer was out of sight, I leapt to my feet and approached the Riolu. I was within ten feet when she noticed me. She shivered in fear and backed up farther, ending up against a wall. I knelt down and tried to console her.

I start to speak. "It's ok! I'm not like him. I just w-" Quick as lightning, the Riolu jumps to her feet, smashing a small white fist into my jaw. The strength of the blow was incredible, I got flung across the small flat and crashed into the trash bins I was hiding behind.

Bruised but overall unharmed, I quickly sat up, just in time to see the Riolu dart around a corner and out of sight. Behind her was a small trail of blood, quickly starting to dry in the ever increasing heat. I glance at Nicky, and without a word, out loud or telepathic, we agree to find the girl.

 **-Two Hours Later, Alex POV-**

We've followed the trail for over two hours now, darting through the alleys and across the streets. Overall, we headed south. Somehow the Riolu moved quickly, though her wounds must be severe. Nicky rode in my arms rather than on my shoulder, after a miraculous idea made sure we didn't lose track of her. The Kirlia attempted to invade the Riolu's mind. He wasn't very good at reading the thoughts of others, but one clear message came through.

 _The humans will kill me. I must hide._

A half minute break from jogging allowed me to think, letting me figure out the most likely place that she would head to escape from humans: Castelia Sewers.

We race around the streets, eventually coming to the plant. Cameras are located all over the property, and the sewers seem almost impossible to get to from their location: Down a steep decline at least forty feet, forming a crevice for the semi-clean water to flow through. Regardless, I can see some muddy paw prints at the entrance to one of the large pipes.

"All right, Nicky. Let's help her out. Teleport us into the pipe, on one of the sidewalks." I say, closing my eyes tightly as I do so. Even with them shut tight, my vision flares white as Nicky throws us through space. Thankfully it was only a short distance, so I didn't end up with a headache, and Nicky wasn't tired after the effort.

Inside, bare bulbs light the cave like structure. Two foot wide sidewalks span either side of the slow moving canal. Nicky takes a moment to hone in on Riolu's thought waves, before leading me through the maze like structure. My nerves skyrocket as we start to encounter pokemon, though they must be nocturnal. Grimer, Zubat and Muk lay about the caves, Venipede bunched in hordes every few feet. I pray to Arceus that they don't wake up, stepping light-footedly through the crowds.

After about ten minutes, we enter a large room. Several steel tanks lay about, covered in various gages. The Riolu lays off to one side, appearing conscious but incoherent. I quickly drop to my knees beside her. Upon seeing my face, Riolu starts hyperventilating quickly, squirming slightly. Even without Nicky at my side, I would have known she was terrified.

 _I wish Terry was here… He would be able to talk her into calming down…_ I think to myself as I quickly tear off my shirt. I rip it down the front, creating a large piece of fabric. After that, I tear it into three equal length pieces, long but fairly thin. Taking the first two pieces, I carefully pick up Riolu by her shoulders, leaning her forward so I could inspect her back. She shivers at my touch but is too utterly exhausted to do anything about it.

Her wounds fill me with despair and a raging anger at her prior trainer. Her back has large teeth marks, deep and gory. Another set of marks across her lower left leg reveals a shiny white bone. Riolu's skin below her fur has turned ashen.

As gently as I can, I wrap her back. She whimpers in pain, streaming tears down her cheeks. After I finish tying the piece of fabric in a knot around her front, I take a moment to look her in the eyes.

"Shh," I say softly. "I'm not like him. I'll protect you. My name's Alex, and this is Nicky. Do you have a name?" I add, as I slowly set her head back down, trying to keep her distracted. She shakes her head slightly.

"All right. Let's see…" I wonder aloud as I lift her leg next, sliding the bandage under it. A random thought suddenly comes to me. I was homeschooled most of my life, and I always moved at an accelerated pace, learning about subjects that usually wouldn't be pursued until much later. One of those subjects was the Greek Myths. I enjoyed the stories a lot, even if most of them seemed needlessly violent. Then again, my life hasn't exactly been peaceful since I set out on my Journey...

 **(Author's Note: Yeah, I know, big real world reference here, but fuck it. Besides, I'm going to work out my version of the Greek/Roman Gods/Goddesses so they would be compatible with the Pokemon World. Nonetheless, since I just kind of threw this in here, feel free to rage and bullshit me about it. In all honesty, at the moment I feel like I deserve it.)**

"What about Athena?" I ask as I finish tying her leg. She seems more alert now that I've been talking to her and stemming the bleeding, but still woozy. Nonetheless, the resilient Riolu nods slightly, smiling a little. "Athena it is!" I say happily as I pick her up, cradling her against my chest.

As I'm turning around, everything goes to Hades.

 **(Author's Note: Fight me. ^)**

A roar echoes through the chamber, followed by the sound of a thousand tiny footsteps and what sounds like slow moving waves behind me. An army of Grimer, Muk, and Venipede stand in the only exit, and all seem extremely angry.

"Oh shit…" I mumble. I speak up nervously. "H-hey, you guys. We were just passing through, you know. See, this Riolu got hurt and was scared, so she ra-"

"MUUUUUUUUUUK!" The largest pile of sludge roars, effectively shutting my trap. It whips one of it's purple arms around, sending a wave of poisonous goop raging towards my head. I duck, quickly, smashing to the floor on my side with Athena facing away from the attackers. Before I can even think of moving again, a pair of Grimer send two more clumps of goop, slightly smaller but surely as deadly. I brace for the impact, but the goop suddenly defies all laws of physics and takes a 90 degree turn to my right, slamming into the wall.

Suddenly Nicky is in front of me, arms outstretched, protecting myself and Athena. I read his mind and realize a split second before he does what he's about to do.

"NICKY! NO! DON'T!" I shout in vain a split second before my vision once again flares white. I find myself behind the enemy line, far enough away that they won't notice me. Not that the small army of poison types want to. They're all focused on Nicky.

All at once, the flurry of pokemon charge, and I choke on a scream. Fumbling one arm in my pants pocket, before I know what I'm doing I'm throwing a small shard of rock into the fray, where Nicky is just holding off the poison types with Confusion. He looks at the rock for a split second, and just before it lands he nods at me. Smiles slightly

Then it hits him in the forehead and a harsh, bluish white light flares through the cavern.

 **(Author's Note: Well, that was a thing. I wonder what that rock was… (As if it wasn't obvious, RIP my cliffhangers) Anyway, I'll do my best to have Chapter XIV out by next Sunday. Please note, I finished this at 12:30 AM Monday morning, so if I have any grammar mistakes please let me know about them. As for the mysterious man and the Shiny Braixen… If you want a bit of information on them, read "The Red Sky" by Zenxolu here on Fan Fiction. I'll keep the surprises vague and say that he and I have teamed up a bit. Nonetheless, I can't wait to continue this. Good Luck, and Happy Reading! -Orthros)**


	17. Chapter XIV: New Friends, Old Enemies

"Every friend is a new adventure… The start of more memories." -Patrick Lindsay

 **This is true in every way of life.**

 **So make the most of it.**

 **Meet new people.**

 **Make new friends.**

 **Life does not last forever.**

 **So make the most of it.**

 **Enjoy Life.**

 **-Orthros**

 **-11 AM, Alex POV-**

The harsh light explodes through the cave, blinding the army of poison types and myself as well. The Muk, Venipede, and Grimer screech and retreat a little ways, allowing room for this oddity. Suddenly the light vanishes, leaving without a trace. With my eyes adjusted a moment later, the source is revealed.

Standing in Nicky's place is a Gallade. The psychic type stands still as stone, eyes closed. All the pokemon are silent, except for Athena, the Riolu I rescued. That I am rescuing. She is crying softly, face pushed into my bare chest. The bandages I made from my shirt seem to be holding, but for how much longer, I have no idea.

As I watch, Nicky opens his eyes. He breathes deeply, bringing his long, bladed hands in front of him to see. I notice that I can feel almost no emotion emanating from the Gallade, which makes me slightly nervous. Unfortunately, before I can react, the poison types get over their shock and regroup, screaming a war cry.

Several Muk and Grimer start throwing globs of poison into the fray, and I know that even with his evolution, Nicky won't be able to hold all of them off. Nicky seems to get this as well. I watch in utter shock as he suddenly starts dodging all the moves. He slams to the floor, before vaulting to his feet and weaving around the poison. Something is wrong, however. I sense a growing panic within his mind, and his thoughts filter into my head, most likely without his meaning to do so.

" _What the Hell! I can't teleport? No… It's just taking a while to charge. SHIT!"_

The last part is accompanied by a scream from his mouth as the horde of Venipede join the fight, launching a gigantic wall of Poison Sting attack at the Gallade. There's absolutely no way to dodge it, and Nicky takes a huge blow, thrown to the ground by the sheer velocity of the endless barrage.

He backs up against a wall, and even from as far away as I am I can see the poisoned outline across his forehead, the various dots of blood from contact with the barbs. Panic rises in my throat and threatens to make me vomit, but by some miracle I manage to choke it down. I yank Nicky's pokeball from my pocket, fumble with the button.

The Muk launch a gigantic wave of poison at Nicky just as the beam hits. With Nicky returned, I exchange the pokeball for an unoccupied one as I turn and race down the tunnel as fast as my feet can carry me. I hear the Poison Types get over their confusion and start to give chase, but I have a good head start. The problem is that I have absolutely no idea where I'm going.

As I'm running, trying not to give in to my burning legs, I speak to Athena. "I need to put you in a pokeball, Athena. Please, or I won't be able to run fast enough." I can tell she doesn't like the idea, but at this point she's so wounded that there isn't much she can do about it. I tap the empty pokeball on her head and she too disappears in a flash of red light. After a moment, the device rings with a successful capture.

 **-45 Minutes Later (12 Noon), Alex POV-**

Arceus must have been guiding me, because I somehow made it out of the sewers without being caught by the poison types. Unfortunately, my luck never holds. Now I'm stuck in the crevice. I can see a service ladder about one hundred feet away. As I bolt to it, I hear the roar of the giant Muk behind me, and instinctively duck. A blob of poison shoots over my head, into the ladder. The moment it hits, the ladder melts into a puddle of goo, steaming and smoking.

 _That Gunk Shot was way more powerful then it should have been._ Because of course it is. Jeez, I hate my luck. I continue running, jumping and barely avoiding the pool of acid. The army seems to be gaining ground, and I take a quick peek behind me, noting them about twenty feet behind.

Then I turn back around and slam into a wall.

My momentum is all lost as I smash face first into the concrete foundation, I fall to the ground with spots dancing in my vision. My nose feels warm, and in my dazed state I feel it gushing blood. Must be broken. I shake off my shock and turn around, leaning against the wall, which I notice to be next to the giant grate that signals the next step in cleaning the sewer water. The band of Muk, Grimer and Venipede stop about fifteen feet away, and they almost appear to be gawking, laughing at me.

The sight should have been terrifying. After all, I was about to have all my skin burned off by acidic poison. Instead, all I feel is an overwhelming anger. I rise to my feet, dizzy but upright nonetheless. I wipe the nose blood from my mouth and speak.

"You bastards… I was only trying to protect an injured Riolu… Now she and my brother Nicky will die with me. Why don't you leave us…?" I say, almost slurring my words slightly. My head pounds, and I'm pretty damn sure I have a concussion.

Oddly enough, the Muk back off for a moment, almost considering my words. Just when I think I'm going to actually get out of this, They look back and roar. Suddenly the whole group slings Sludge Bombs and Poison Stings at me. An impossible to avoid wave of death. I close my eyes… but nothing happens.

Out of nowhere, a metallic roar screams in my ears. I open my eyes to see a giant, snake like pokemon made out of what appears to be solid steel. A Steelix.

"Nice job, Steelix! Now, use Flash Cannon! Skarmory, get the kid up here!" I hear a voice yell. It sounds like it's above me, and I look up just in time to see a Skarmory's claws, wrapped in duct tape, grab my shoulders. Out of nowhere I'm lifted into the air, in a sharp but bearable grip. _The duct tape must be protecting my arms from Skarmory's claws…_ I momentarily thought to myself.

We quickly rise out of the crevice, watching over the battle taking place below us. Ok, maybe battle isn't a good word for it. Perhaps "massacre" or "total domination" would be better terms. The Steelix roars and smashes the poison army around, their moves having no effect on his body whatsoever. Silver colored beams are fired at the strongest ones in the group, and I could tell they were extremely effective. By the time I was released on the ground above the wall, the battle was over, and the last of the Venipede could be seen running into the pipes.

I stumble slightly as I drop a couple of feet, but an arm comes out of nowhere and keeps me steady.

"Woah, there. Steady now. Let's get you to the Pokemon Center before you drop, shall we?" I take a momentary look at the person who saved me. At first glance, she appeared in her late teens, with a large amount of light brown hair supported by two orange beads, with pale skin and a plain white dress. She smiles at me.

"My name's Jasmine! What's yours?"

"Alex… ugh." I say, before my legs buckle. I would have fallen if she hadn't caught me, and the last thought I had before I lost consciousness was that this Jasmine girl was extremely strong.

 **-4 PM, Terry POV-**

"Where the heck is Alex?!" I say, shaking my head, frustrated. Angel stands behind me, nervous but just letting me rant. The Gardevoir was helping me search for our traveling companion, who was supposed to be back hours ago. We're just outside the City Circle, trying to decide where to go next.

"Let's try west, Angel. Perhaps he went to a park over that way." I say. She telepathically agrees with me, and the pair of us walk and float, side by side, through the Circle. Many people stare at us, particularly Angel, but no one causes trouble. We exit the Circle, and I make a mental note to congratulate Angel on almost conquering her fear of crowds later. She's been doing great, helping me search without complaint for the last three hours. As we near the end of the main street we chose, I hear the blaring TV's from an electronics store come on.

The ones in the window show a news report. A news anchorwoman stares into the camera, a look of nerves professionally hidden behind her makeup and control.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. This is channel six news network, bringing you a breaking news report. Police officers responded moments ago to a shots fired call at the 'Cleffa Cafe,' where witnesses and victims are left utterly shocked by the events that occurred mere moments ago." The camera changes to a security camera shot of a black van ramming into the building, and the woman narrates. "This van, witnesses say, was driven by Team Plasma recruits. The terrorists proceeded to raid the shop, killing eight pokemon and two teenage girls on their crime spree." The battle spills into the street, where two grunts are holding a gun to a captured Eevee's head. Suddenly another shot is fired, and the grunt with the gun drops.

The woman continues. "Witnesses say a man in his late twenties ran out from the women's bathroom where he had taken refuge. The person proceeded to pull out a shotgun and fired upon the grunt, killing him. A moment later, he tackles and defeats the other grunt." After this, a moment passes before a feminine scream is heard, sounding like a pokemon. "WItnesses say this scream was made by none other than a Shiny Braixen, whom survivors of the initial raid heard the man call 'Tana.' We switch now to a police cruiser's dash cam as he pulls up on the scene, before joining a car chase."

The camera angle turns to a grainy dashcam image of an officer's cruiser. It captures the form of a Braixen with purple fur, being thrown forcefully into the back of the black van. The van's driver pays no attention to the officers orders to stop, instead barrels down the road. Right before the officer can pursue, a black sports car barrels in out of nowhere and screeches to a stop. Another guy in his late twenties yells something like "ZEKE! GET IN!" Moments before the man, Zeke, wrenches open the passenger door and jumps inside, rolling down the window and starting to aim his shotgun outside it as the door closes.

The cruiser follows closely behind the sports car, and by comparison of drivers, the sports car driver must be a magician, fitting through the smallest of corners and keeping up pretty well. Suddenly Zeke takes aim and fires his shotgun. Over the sound of the officer yelling "shots fired" into his mic, a huge crash is heard as the bullets find their mark in the back right tire of the fleeing vehicle, causing it to veer out of control.

The camera captures the next scene as the two men jump out of their car, both wielding shotguns. The driver yells "OUT, OUT OF THE FUCKING CAR, NOW!" As he pulls the driver door open. He's faced with a pistol, but with expertise that suggest years of combat training, he ducks and smashes his shotgun's barrel into the driver's hand, forcing him to drop the weapon. He mutters something, before firing a single shot. The driver, another Team Plasma grunt, falls out of the driver door, a bullet in his head.

More screams, sounding like those for help, are heard from the trunk. Zeke smashes the butt of his rifle against the lock, but it does nothing.

"BASTARD, damn thing is tougher than I thought. Craig get this thing opened." He yells. A moment later, Craig positions himself on top of the trunk, placing the barrel of his shotgun against the lock in such a way that the bullets will move away from the car after fired. He lets off another shot, and the lock is busted open. The trunk opens and moments later Zeke is hugging the Braixen, who appears shocked but unharmed. The camera returns to the Anchorwoman.

"Zeke and Craig were both released from Police custody moments ago, after having cleared their attacks in self defense. Tana was evaluated by Nurse Joy at the Pokemon Center, and only suffered minor injuries. The two plasma grunts await judgement. Zeke and Craig refused to comment on the attack, returning to the Pokemon Center as I speak. More developments will be reported as uncovered. Channel Six, signing off."

The TV returns to a cartoon and I look at Angel. "You don't think…" I can't finish the thought. Angel shakes her head.

"Only two teenage female humans got killed. Alex wasn't there. We should head back to the Center though, before things ge-" The TV flares up again. "You gotta be kidding me…" Angel mutters.

"Channel Six, back again, this time with Jasmine, a visiting Gym Leader from Johto. Larry has more on the matter." The Anchorwoman says. The camera changes to reveal a reporter in his mid thirties, standing next to a girl that appears in her late twenties, wearing a white dress and supporting a large amount of light brown hair on her head, supported by two beads.

"Thanks, Alyssa. Jasmine, you're visiting from Johto, and if I hear correctly, you're a Steel Type Gym Leader, correct?" She just nods. "You had another interesting story to explain, and it would probably detail the blood staining your dress. Please, enlighten us."

"Well, Larry, I came up from Johto following a request from the manager of Castelia Sewers. A large band of Poison Type Pokemon have taken refuge in the sewers, making it impossible to work down there. Since Steel types are unaffected by Poison, I was requested to come down and help flush them out so they can be relocated. As I was approaching the crevice, a ten year old boy came running out. He was shirtless and covered in blood, although he had no visible injuries." A picture of the boy came up, showing him semiconscious. My heart almost stopped. It was Alex. "He was running from the poison types, and ended up smashing into the wall, breaking his nose and possibly getting a concussion. At that point, the poison types surrounded him, and he backed against the wall. The poison types started laughing and taunting him. Angered by the jeering, the boy got unsteadily to his feet and started talking. A surveillance camera caught the whole speech."

The camera switches to a scene of a small army of Poison Types surrounding Alex, who was cornered by a wall and part of the steep crevice. He rises to his feet, wiping blood from his shattered nose and speaks.

"You bastards… I was only trying to protect an injured Riolu… Now she and my brother Nicky will die with me. Why don't you leave us…?"

The camera captures the momentary confusion from the army, before they fling a wave of poisonous death at Alex. It's blocked at the last moment by a Steelix appearing from one of the two pokeballs Jasmine threw. The other revealed a Skarmory, and the pair of pokemon defended Alex while Jasmine was seen running off camera. A minute later, she returns, carrying a pad of duct tape. She wraps Skarmory's claws and orders him to rescue Alex. The boy faints in her arms shortly after the rescue is completed, the Steelix having successfully forced the Poison Types to retreat. The camera turns to a live feed of an emergency room, where a Gallade and an oddly colored Riolu lay on beds, both being treated for severe wounds.

"Alex woke up long enough to explain both his side of the story and the oddity of Riolu's coloring to the press and police, before passing out from exhaustion."

The camera stays on the anchorman, but the audio changes, revealing Alex's voice. He sound strained. "Nicky, the Gallade, and I found a trainer who was yelling at an injured Riolu. He was talking about experiments Team Plasma had done, which turned her originally shiny coloring to this. Something about losing an easy battle. He threatened his pokemon and had absolutely no love for her. He smashed her pokeball and left. After that, we tried to help, but she was quick enough to catch me off guard and sucker punch me. We ended up chasing her for over two hours, ending up at Castelia Sewers. Nicky, still a Kirlia at the time, teleported us into the sewers. We proceeded to follow the Riolu's thought waves through the sewers, trying not to wake the dozens of pokemon we passed. We arrived in a large room, where the Riolu was conscious but unable to move, in a pool of blood. I tore my shirt into homemade bandages to stem the bleeding. I named her Athena. As Nicky and I were about to leave, we were surrounded by poison types, I guess they woke up." He says, before pausing for several seconds.

Another voice speaks up. "You need to rest, tell us later."

"No," Alex says quickly. "I want to finish. People need to know… Nicky teleported Athena and I behind the poison types. They all attacked him, and I can still see what happened next so clearly... " He sounds excited slightly, though still exhausted. "I dug through my pocket and flung the shard of Dawn Stone that we had won in a battle yesterday to him. He evolved right then and there. His nimbleness as a Gallade enabled him to avoid the attacks for a while longer, but the Venipede all shot him with poison stings. I returned him to this pokeball at the last possible second, and started running. I captured Athena in another pokeball so I could run faster and so she would be protected. I ran off and on for about forty five minutes before I got outside, and… someone named Jasmine saved me…? After that, I don't remember anything."

The audio ends and Larry the reporter speaks up. "Wow… So much happening today, and two, even three shiny pokemon reported in Castelia City at one time! Interesting… But what was it that Alex wanted us to know about?"

Jasmine speaks up, her voice hard. "He wanted the public to know what Team Plasma was doing. If his story is correct, and I've no doubt that it is, then Team Plasma is experimenting on Shiny Pokemon. They need to be stopped, as soon as possible."

Larry nods, glancing at Jasmine for a split second with a similar expression on his face, before returning to his professional attitude. "And there you have it, folks. Quite a day this is turning out to be. Back to you, Alyssa."

"Thanks, Larry. In other news…" I listen no longer, turning to stare at Angel, wide eyed.

"You're Terry, then?" Someone speaks up. I shake off my shock to see a small crowd had gathered behind us. The speaker looked like another reporter, but he turned off his camera. "If the stories are true, your Gardevoir Angel here can teleport. You two should get your asses down to the pokemon Center."

"Uhh… Right! Thanks!" I say confusedly, still having trouble concentrating. I glance at Angel, who nods. Placing my hand upon her shoulder, I close my eyes as I'm engulfed in white light. Moments later, we arrive at the pokemon center, where several news vans are parked outside. A split second later somebody recognizes us, and we're swamped with cameras and mics. I feel Angel panic and push out a weak psychic force, pushing everyone back a bit.

I speak up before the crowd gets over their shock, putting on a pissed off look. "Yeah, I did that. Back the fuck off, neither of us are in the mood. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to my best friend, Alex." I state, before pushing Angel softly on the back. She quickly gets the idea and heads inside.

Inside, I quickly see Nurse Joy talking to Callen. We head over, ignoring the sea of eyes turning our way. Callen sees us and almost falls over with relief.

"Oh, thank Arceus you're here. Angel, they need you in back. That Riolu has seconds left unless you heal the worst of her wounds!" Angel seems taken aback, but nods. Callen rushes down a side door, ignoring the shouts of the security guy he knocked over. Angel follows, floating right on his heels. I sigh heavily, scared for my friends. I glance at Nurse Joy, but she speaks up before me.

"Alex suffered only minor injuries. Nicky the Gallade suffered ninety three puncture wounds from Poison Stings, creating severe blood loss and poisoning. He is currently resting and being tube fed pecha berries. The Riolu, Athena, suffered extremely severe blood loss, as well as trauma from being handled by humans. She only cooperated when Alex came into the room. She's resting up, and I'm assuming now that your partner Angel is here, she will make a full recovery, due to her Heal Pulse move." She finishes kindly. I nod my head slowly.

Suddenly the Pokemon Center doors burst open. I wheel around and see the two men from the news earlier, Zeke and Craig. They lock eyes with me, and I recoil slightly. One of Zeke's eyes looks dark red and black, similar to and Umbreon's. I can only assume he understands the look because he sighs heavily.

"Ignore the eye, please. Are you Terry Collins?" He asks. As he does, a purple furred Braixen, looking nervous, strides up to stand beside Zeke. The man puts and arm on her shoulder, around her neck, hugging the pokemon slightly.

I furrow my eyebrows, nervous. "Yes. Why would you want to know?"

The other man, Craig, speaks up. "This is not a good place to talk. Come with us."

They turn and proceed to walk out the doors, pausing in the exit when they realized I haven't moved.

I speak up. "I'm not moving an inch until I know my friends will live." Craig responds by pulling a shotgun from it's holster across his back.

"We don't have time for games. I promise you we're on the same side, but if I have to force you to talk to us believe me I will." He says menacingly, pointing the gun at me.

The Center goes silent at the standoff, onlookers slowly backing away. I feel my blood start to boil at this comical act, as the fear in my heart as I looked for Alex starts to pour out of me. I can feel the very air radiating as my power starts to leak out of me, almost like heat rippling off a cement road. Zeke beats me to the reaction, though.

He grabs the shotgun and rips it out of Craig's hands, to the disbelief of his partner. Taking a moment to flip the safety switch on the gun, he drops the weapon to the ground and kicks it. It slides across the ground and ends up at my feet. He does the same for his own gun.

"There. You're armed, we're not. I promise, no matter how stupid my friend here is, we do want you on our side." Zeke says, shooting a look at his friend. "If you don't trust us, at least let us say our side of the story. We have the same enemies." He finishes, taking a badge from his pocket. It's charred from fire damage, but there's no mistaking the Team Plasma logo on the front. He drops this on the floor, too, and steps on it, shattering the pin to bits.

I consider this, and read their minds. I sense no lies from either side, but I'm still nervous. I think a show of force will keep them in line, just in case... But at the same time, I hesitate. I don't want to overdo it, especially with the recent increase...

I make up my mind. Concentrating, the whole crowd gasps as I raise a hand, whose finger tips, along with my eyes, are glowing light blue. Both shotguns raise on their own accord, simultaneously hitting their safeties off and pointing themselves at the men. I speak up.

"Fine. We'll talk. But we are going to a location of my choice, not yours." I state, leaving no room for discussion.

Zeke nods, looking pretty damn calm for someone being faced by two floating shotguns. "That's fine, as long as it's private." With that said, I turn on heel, and without a word march down the hallway, toward my hotel room allowed by the Center. The two men follow behind me at a respectable distance. I gaze farther into their minds, and get a shock that almost makes me stop. I turn around, walking backwards and staring hard at Zeke.

"You're part Umbreon?" I ask him. Blood drains from his face, which is holding a shocked expression.

"Y-yes, but how did you know?" He asks wearily.

"I can read minds, Zeke. I've been trying to see if I can truly trust you two." I state as we continue walking, turning the corner and finally getting out of sight of the cameras. Immediately, I return the guns to their hands.

I continue, though slightly hesitant. I hadn't admitted this to anyone, but I would rather have these bastards fear me, at least until I can trust them."You two should know that even before my partner Gardevoir, Angel, evolved from a Kirlia to a Gardevoir, I was already one of the most powerful psychic trainers on the planet. Since she evolved, however, my telekinetic abilities have increased so dramatically that it's more scary than it is cool. I'm only sixteen, but I've matured pretty damn quick. So you should know that while I would rather not kill anyone, so help me if I even sense a little bit of betrayal I will rip your bodies in half." I finish, glaring at the men with hatred.

In truth, I'm not sure why I feel so angry at the pair of them. Perhaps they just showed up at a bad time. Nonetheless, I'm not regretting it, at least not yet. I continue, although I feel like it's more to try to explain the Hell hole I feel that I've gotten myself into to myself rather then them. "I did the math while Angel was unconscious. There is no way I should have been able to keep us from falling to our deaths, keep us from becoming a grease spot on the floor of the Gym." I state, folding my arms and staring out the window of my hotel room.

The pair of them exchange glances, obviously sure that I'm not bluffing. I sigh. "I don't know what to think at this point, but you were telling the truth about Team Plasma being a common enemy. Now do me a favor and explain this. Just don't piss me off. I've had enough control issues lately."

 **(Author's Note: Things just got real. Again, for more information leading up to Zeke and Craig, read "The Red Sky" by Zenxolu here on FanFiction. He's got four chapters out, and at this point you should read all of them to get a good understanding of the events leading to this. As Zenxolu and myself are doing a sort of crossover on our stories, At the beginning of each "Gardevoir, My Angel" or "The Red Sky" chapter, we will let you know how far you need to be caught up on the other story to be able to understand the events that you will read about. At this point, you should go read Chapters 1-4 of "The Red Sky" before you continue on with chapter XV of "Gardevoir, My Angel.")**

 **Good Luck, and Happy Reading! -Orthros**


	18. Chapter XV: Eve of Battle - Comrades

**(Author's Note: Sorry it took a while, guys! Trouble with sleep, school catching up with me, and plenty of others kinda dragged me down. However, that is no excuse for my delay, and I sincerely apologize for taking so long. Anyway, here it is! Happy Reading! -Orthros)**

 **(WARNING: A whole lot happens in this chapter. Make sure you read it VERY, VERY THOROUGHLY, because every single word explains key points in the story. Essentially, this is the turning point in the entire story. It's uphill from here.)**

 **-6 PM, Angel POV (Shiny Gardevoir)-**

I breath deeply, trying not to let any looks of disgust register on my face as I press my hands into Athena's back. It had been about fifteen minutes since that Terry and I had burst into the Pokemon Center, only to have Callen, in a state of almost tears, rush me down the Center's many hallways to an Emergency Room. Callen quickly briefed the doctors in the room of my abilities, and within seconds I was sent to Athena's hospital bed. The white furred Riolu wasn't breathing, strapped to a variety of machines that kept her body working. I placed my hands upon her leg first, feeling warm blood and shards of bone under my slender fingers. The wounds smelled far worse then they should have, perhaps a result of the experimentations that she had gone through.

After I had finished with her leg, sealing up the skin, I moved to her chest. One of the doctors came in, gave me a reassuring flash of a smile as he gently lifted Athena and turned her over. The sight was horrible: deep teeth marks, shredded skin, and worst of all, several deep lashes. It took me a moment to realize what I was seeing. Several deep whip marks had been torn into her back, but it was long enough ago that they had healed up. Her newer wounds, combined with the chase she put Alex and Nicky through, must have opened them once again. My breathing caught in my throat. The doctor that had helped turned back and caught my eye, he returned to my side. I shuddered slightly and pointed with one hand, my other applying Heal Pulse energy to stem the bleeding. I ran my fingers up the lashes, and the doctor's eyes widened. He looked at me, and I could tell that under his professionally neutral look he was horrified. I'm glad I'm not a full time doctor. It must be a job of terrible heartbreak.

I shake my head slightly and focus once again on her cuts. I take it slow, reminding myself that the humans and their technology will keep the Riolu alive if I do so. I'm sure I could speed the process up, but I don't want to overdo it and make a mistake. The doctor stays in the room,

adjusting dials and making sure the device that provides clean air to Athena is secure.

It takes about twenty minutes to completely heal the cuts, but the scarring is still present. There's nothing I can do about that. I stand up, feeling lightheaded. The doctor allows me to rinse my hands and arms in the nearby sink, before dismissing me to allow Athena to sleep.

"Thanks to you, the Riolu will be ok. We'll set up a guard for her, and a professional nurse to watch over her. Somethings up, though. Nurse Joy came by. She said that Terry just got confronted by two men, they were on the news earlier. They had a small standoff, before apparently coming to an agreement and heading back to your hotel room to talk. You and that boy Callen should join them." He finishes, pulling Callen to his feet, Callen had been sitting on one of the benches, face in his hands. I nod, nervous but confident that Terry could handle himself.

"Thanks, Doctor…?" I start telepathically.

He jumps a little, before composing himself. "Lee. Doctor Lee. Your powers are incredible, by the way. And for someone who isn't experienced with gore of that caliber… You handled yourself well. It's nice to meet you." He finishes kindly. I just smile weakly, surprised that he didn't realize just how much I hated that ordeal. I turn to Callen, nod my head, and glide out of the room, hovering a couple inches off the ground. I've found that it is much easier for me to float than to walk, I guess my body is weaker than my mind is.

A few minutes later, Callen and I arrive in the Pokemon Center lobby. It's packed, noisy and full of chaos. However, soon people start to notice us, and immediately everyone quiets down. I feel extremely intimidated by the attention, much more so than I would prefer to admit. However, before anyone can set off the bomb of questions, Callen steps forward slightly, clearing his throat.

"The Riolu is going to be ok. She's resting. Now, can you all excuse us? It's been a long day." He says, loud and clear. After a moment, many people start to move, but a few nosy reporters who don't know when to quit try to question him. Callen, already low on tolerance, responds by pulling three pokeballs from his breast pocket and throwing them into the air. In triple flashes of light, his friends Shinx, Litleo, and Oshawott appear, throwing menacing looks at the reporters. The people quickly clear the way and Callen, friends on his heels, proceeds down the hallways to the hotel rooms. I hesitate for only a moment before following, proud but slightly unnerved by Callen's show of bravery. A few minutes later, we reach our room. I open the door with Telekinesis.

 **-6:05 PM, Terry POV-**

I sigh heavily. "I don't know what to think at this point, but you were telling the truth about Team Plasma being a common enemy. Now do me a favor and explain this. Just don't piss me off. I've had enough control issues lately."

"Such politeness you have," Zeke laughs, but moments later his laughter dies as his expression turns deadly serious. "As you may have known, Team Plasma are kidnapping and killing Pokemon, there were recent events where this had occurred. This is a concerning thing for the Pokemon race." He begins.

The other man, Craig, continues, almost as though they had rehearsed it. Probably not. "This happened in both Route 2 and Castelia City. I personally know what Team Plasma are doing with these Pokemon, but the details themselves are foggy. At the moment, certain experiments have been performed on various Pokemon. Some ended up costing their lives." Craig says, a dejected look flashing on his face.

I raise a brow, surprised by the amount of information in his explanation, even if the details are unclear. I almost doubt the thoroughness of my search of their thoughts, I'm sure I would have noted something like that. "Care to explain to me how you know this?" I question.

The man takes a moment to holster his gun, which he had been holding in a neutral position. He pulls out a cigarette and ignites it, much to my disgust. "I'm the mole in Team Plasma, kid. I have people on the inside telling me their plans, and I've figured out some of them myself… To keep my cover, though… Some of the hits were horrid; there was a recent hit on a Pokemon Daycare, some baby Pokemon got taken… Well, I made the order on the hit."

It takes me a moment to understand what I'm hearing, and the very air around me vibrates with energy as my anger momentarily gets away from me. "You what? Do you understand what you did on that day? Not only did you kidnap several pokemon, but the emotional scarring you gave that child is completely unacceptable." I finish, taking a step towards him in rage. I force myself to halt, but fix the man with a glare.

Craig didn't seem to care, he simply looked away, gazing out the window. "Yes, I am fully aware of what I have done and I understand you are upset, but I didn't have a choice, kid. I'm a double agent, I had to keep my cover. I despise Team Plasma."

He takes a moment to fix me with a stern, almost fierce expression as he drops his cigar on the carpet, smashing with his boot. "Oh, but you don't want to be mad at me, kid. Save your anger for the worst news. Team Plasma has a psych profile on you. Everything they could find. Detailed shit on your journeys, your powers… Even your precious Angel."

I froze at this, his tone made it clear he was deadly serious. "What are you talking about?" I manage to get out.

"They have plans in store for her, much worse than those undesirables. You see, she is a special type of pokemon. They want her. Not just her DNA, but every bit, down to the tissue that makes her skin. The same can be said for Tana, Zeke's partner." Craig adds. I was becoming rather unnerved by the whole talk, but I forced myself to not interrupt.

"Let me explain. By manipulating the pokemon's genetic code, they can access unimaginable power within their subjects, and they can transfer this power to others. It would put hardened veterans to shame, even champions wouldn't stand a chance. Angel, however… I overheard a conversation about her specifically. Apparently Team Plasma got a blood sample, I'm assuming from the events at the DreamYard. Point is, Angel carries a strand of DNA that most psychic types have, but hers would be much more effective than most. It's the key to their victory. Their attempt to capture her was for a client, who would have developed the super serum."

Craig suddenly shoots a malevolent look at Zeke. "Zeke, Tana carries this strand in an unusually large amount as well, so it's important that you keep her out of harm's way." He turns back to me, seemingly annoyed, crossing his arms and continuing. "I highly suggest you know your place, kid. You may have telekinesis, but one little screw up and next thing you know your parents will be digging your grave." He finishes coldly.

I'm completely stunned, so much that I only realize that Zeke was talking just as he finishes. "-you. Will you join us, Terry?"

I shook my head a little, trying to focus. Before I could speak, however, the door behind us opens. The three of us turn to see Callen enter, with his three pokemon in tow behind him. He walks into the space, sitting down on the foot of his bed, hardly noticing that we're in the room. Angel follows moments later. She freezes in the entrance, glancing from Zeke's pained expression to Craig's seemingly closed off one, before settling on mine.

 _Help._ I silently cry.

She flinches slightly at my plea, but speaks up with Telepathy, moving over to sit on my bed as she does so. "Apparently you three have been talking. At this point though, it's late. We can continue tomorrow. You're Zeke, right?" Zeke nods. "Tana just finished up with Nurse Joy, she's waiting for you in the lobby. I wouldn't keep her waiting, she's getting more attention than she prefers, I think."

Zeke starts a little, before nodding and leaving the room without a word. Craig stares at Angel a moment longer, before sighing in a slightly annoyed manner and leaving as well. Once the door closes, I let out the breath I hadn't realized I had been holding and fall onto my bed, head ending up next to Angel's leg. She stares down at me with her orange eyes.

"What did they want to… Nevermind. Let's talk later." She cuts herself off at my expression. I just nod numbly.

Thoughts fly through my head so fast it's hard to focus on any little thing. I must not do a great job of hiding my thoughts from the Gardevoir next to me, because moments later she lifts me farther onto the bed with Telekinesis and gets into a PR position with me. I can tell that the job of healing Athena was straining for her, she's drained. I take a deep breath and allow myself to exist in this one, peaceful moment.

Soon enough our breathing goes into sync, and by the time Nurse Joy knocks on the door ten minutes later, I'm fairly calm once again. Angel shifts so I can get up, and stays on the bed while I answer the door.

Joy smiles at me. "I just wanted to let you know that Alex, Nicky and Athena are all doing well and will be released from the hospital in a couple days. The Riolu though… You and Alex should have a talk. She was horribly abused… She needs a good partner and guide. Alex seems like a good person, but you have more experience in that kind of field, even if it isn't as much as the professionals. Just… Give him some pointers, will you?" She finishes quietly. I nod sadly.

She leaves and I close the door, leaning dejectedly against it.

"We'll get through it, Terry."

I hear the words and look up to see Angel staring at me from the bed. And suddenly she's off talking, trying to get me to believe.

I don't know how long it goes on for, but it works. She makes me believe. By the time we get to sleep, I no longer feel defeated. I feel scared of the problems, yes, but no longer afraid to deal with the answers.

 **-Next Day, Terry POV-**

When I wake, I feel refreshed. Angel is already up, brushing her hair with telekenisis. She sees me staring and blushes. I laugh.

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea. It's good practice," I say, sitting up and quickly throwing on my regular day clothes. "Callen left already then?" I ask a few minutes later, having packed my bag.

Angel nods. "Yeah, he wanted to do some special training with Oshawott, the pair of them think he's close to evolving. After all, the tournament is tomorrow." She gets up, stretching a little. "I suppose we should, too?"

"Yeah." I say, moving to the door. As I open it, I notice a sticky note above the outer door knob. "What's this?" I ask Angel, who joins me outside our room moments later.

" _Callen said you were going to participate in the Castelia City Tournament. Craig and I are assuming that you and your pokemon will be training at the Gym today, as it is open for practice matches. That being said, we would like to meet you there and talk some more, if that is alright with you. See you there."_

 _-Zeke_

I'm sure Angel knows the conversation word for word now, she had taken a look at the memory in my mind shortly before we went to sleep, so I'm not surprised that she seems unsettled by this note. I sigh slightly, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and squeezing gently. "They don't seem like the easiest people to trust, Angel. I agree with that. But I'm sure they weren't lying when they said that Team Plasma was out for your blood, either…" I put a slight telekinetic force on her cheek, forcing her to look at me. "I won't let anyone hurt you, but I'm not going to put you in harms way by joining a group with these ideals. I still want to see what they're all about, but the absolute last thing I'm ever going to do is put you in the line of fire. Is that clear?" I ask, sternly.

She nods, and while her facial expression stays neutral, I can sense a knot of burden unravel. I turn, mainly to hide my own expression and emotions at this. I had assumed she would know that I would never do such a thing. As we walk, I hammer a mental note into my skull to look into this matter more soon.

A few minutes of walking later, we're outside another room, this time an extended stay hospital room. I knock softly, and a nurse answers. She smiles and stands back to let us in. Alex, Nicky, and Athena the Riolu are laying on separate beds throughout the room. Alex looks up from his novel and smiles wide, though it turns into a slight grimace as he puts a hand to his temple.

He sighs and lays back against his pillows. "Hey, Terry, hi Angel. How's the weather?" He asks, laughing slightly.

I snort. "Not so bad, you should come out. Oh, wait. You've a concussion." I turn to the nurse. "He's flatlining. I'm calling it."

This gets a better laugh out of him as I turn back and sit in the chair next to his bed. The nurse, who had been chuckling as well, speaks. "He's being let out tomorrow, on special orders from Nurse Joy. After all, they've been training hard for the tournament. She just wants him to take it easy afterwards for about a week."

"That sounds good to me." I state. After a moment, I notice Angel float over to the Riolu's bedside. The expression on her face is impossible to read, and for the first time in awhile I'm shut out from her mind. I furrow my eyebrows. "Is she ok?" I ask my girlfriend.

She jumps a little, looking over at me. "Yeah, she will be ok. Shall we head out?" She adds, moving towards the door. Even with my restricted abilities, I can tell the sight unnerved her. Alex seems to get the same idea because he speaks up.

"Sure, you two head out. Destroy some target dummies for me! Maybe bring me a soda!" He turns his head to his Nurse. "Am I allowed to drink soda right now?"

"No."

"Alright, bring me a soda you two! Get going!"

I send a quick look his way, which he returns, his smile fading for a split second. Waving, I follow Angel out the door and after a few minutes we emerge on the streets of Castelia City. The many passersby stare as we set off down the street, and after a few minutes I feel as though Angel is going to lose it. I stop and pull her into a small area near a side alley, and look her in the eyes.

"Seeing Athena upset you." I state. It wasn't a question. She nods, her orange eyes tearing up slightly. I pull her into an embrace, trying my best to avoid her spike. After a few moments, we break apart, and I shoot an extremely pissed off look at the few people that had stopped to stare. They leave in a hurry. I lean against the wall, and after a moment pull a Luxury Ball from my pocket. Her eyes widen at the sight of it and she takes a small step away from me. I hurriedly shake my head, nervous that she's this upset.

"Relax, Angel! I'm not going to force you inside, I know you prefer being out." I say quickly. "I'm simply offering for you to go inside until we get to the gym. People won't staring at you. After all, it's a private place. Do you want to?" I ask gently.

After a few seconds, she nods. I tap the pokeball on her shoulder and in a flash of light she's sucked into the pokeball for the first time in what must be years. I take a moment to hold the pokeball in my hand, thinking phrases in my head at rapid fire speed, trying to form some sort of normalcy state for her. I shake my head. _Angel did everything she could… Why is she so upset?_

After that, I fished out an old gold necklace from my pack, one I hadn't worn in months. The pendant was shaped like Arceus's rings, and the middle was hollow, with a spot to fit a pokeball. As I fit Angel's pokeball into the slot, my thoughts flashed back to the day I had received the jewelry piece.

 **-Two Years Ago, June 17, Third Person (** _ **Terry's 14th Birthday**_ **)-**

"That was an awesome party!"

"Grats, Terry! See you tomorrow?"

"You know it, Junior."

Terry shut the door of his house, cutting off the excited chitchat from Junior and Alex for the night. The party had been amazing, alright. Almost half the small town had shown up, and Dad had bought enough pizza to last a decade. Blade had done some demonstration sparing, everyone had a great time. Of course, Alex and Junior had stayed longer than the rest, being his best friends along with Angel.

Terry walked through the kitchen and was just starting to climb the stairs to his room when he heard his dad's voice.

"Terry? Come here, son." Terry followed it through the hallway to the backyard, where his dad lounged in a deck chair. The older man flicked his hand to the chair next to him, and Terry sat.

Mr. Collins reclined a bit more, seemingly content.

" _It's nice, isn't it?"_

"Yeah, it is." Terry said automatically, before shaking his head vigorously and turning to glare at his father. "No fair. I'm still getting used to Telepathy, you don't have to rub it in!"

The older fellow laughs. "No, I don't have to, but I still enjoy teasing my son." He says, wiping a tear of laughter from his left eye. After a moment he sighs. "My son, fourteen. Not only that, but a powerful psychic… Wow. Outshone at 45."

Terry frowns at this. "But you're much better at control, dad! You're decades ahead of me…"

Mr. Collins shakes his head. "Hardly, son. I still have a lot of trouble with high powered control. Anyway… I've got something for you."

He flicks his fingers around his neck and pulls off a gold chain from his neck, uncovering a pendant shaped like Arceus's rings, with a Friend Ball fitted in the middle. Terry's breath catches in his throat.

"Your necklace… But you've had that for your entire life… That's Blade's and your memories…!" He fades into silence, staring at the necklace.

Mr. Collins shakes his head sadly. "I've got Blade himself to remind me of the adventures I've had. Besides, I think you deserve it." He pulls the pokeball from the slot, then puts the necklace around Terry's neck, leaning back to get a good view. "It looks perfect. You remind me so much of myself… I'm so Arceus damn proud of you." He finishes, tears flowing down his cheeks.

 _And that was the last time Terry saw his biological father._

 **-Present Time, Terry POV-**

A car horn shocks me back into reality. I wipe a stray tear from my eye and straighten up, hanging the necklace, now complete with Angel's pokeball, around my neck. The second it starts hanging there, I feel as though I'm complete again. As if some hole had been filled. Vaguely, I wonder why I stopped wearing it in the first place.

Soon enough, I arrive at the gym, noting as usual how little attention I attract without Angel in sight. Not that I prefer the privacy over her company, but I feel that it would be good for both of us if she tried to tolerate her pokeball in cities more often. Sadly, I know that when I enter I'm sure to be recognized, so I take a deep breath and push open the door before I can stop myself.

As I thought, upon entering the lobby, several trainers, ranging from newbies in their shorts to ace trainers with multiple sets of badges pinned to their jackets, stride over to introduce themselves. I shake hands and say a few quick words to each, slipping away as soon as I can and grabbing myself a spot on the bleachers in the stands, where I set my supplies. I pull out Ace's and Axinite's pokeballs and click the buttons. With twin flashes of light, the Watchog and Boldore appeared on the gym floor. I nod to them, smiling slightly. Then I grab Angel's pokeball but hesitate on the button.

 _Angel, do you want to train, or do you think you're ready for the Tournament? It's pretty crowded here._ I think, knowing she will hear the words.

" _... To be honest, Terry, I really don't want to. I'm jus-"_

 _I know. Don't apologize. Besides, you've come really far, I think you are ready. If you change your mind though, let me know._

"Hey, Terry." A voice says. I look up to see Zeke standing over me, hand extended in front of him. Craig stands off to one side, conversing with someone that appears to be an ex-marine. Tana stands beside Zeke. I stand and shake hands with her partner.

"I got your note. To be honest, I wasn't planning on training at the gym, but I figured it would be a good place, since it was open. Besides, I had to talk to you guys anyway." I state, before lowering my voice. "I don't really know what to think of you and Craig. But I am on board when it comes to forming a group to fight Team Plasma. On the other hand, the last thing I'm going to do is put Angel in harm's way. So unless the fight comes to me, I don't plan on attacking them."

Zeke nods. "I figured you would say that. Frankly, I feel the same way about Tana. Nonetheless, it wouldn't be just fighting on a battlefield. We will be thinking strategy to, ways of taking them out without engaging in direct combat. If we do have to fight, we would be doing it with an advantage, such as a surprise attack. Either way, I won't force you or Angel to do anything you feel uncomfortable with. Where is she, by the way?" Zeke adds, looking around.

"She's in her pokeball for the first time in years." I say, tapping the pendant around my neck. "Crowds are worse than ever with the Tournament tomorrow." I explain.

Zeke smiles, putting an arm around Tana's shoulders. "Yeah, Tana here was nervous as well. We decided to give some training here a shot, though. Who knows? Maybe we'll join the tournament."

I nod, and introduce my other friends. "These guys are Ace and Axinite. We plan to train for most of today, and relax for the evening. Shall we get started?"

"Yeah, sure. The stronger you guys get, the better." Someone speaks up. Zeke and I turn to see Craig, the usual steel cold expression plastered on his face. "Team Plasma is merciless. Whether or not you fight them directly, you need to be prepared."

I nod, then turn to Ace and Axinite. "You two ready for some battles then?" They cheer loudly, and without further ado we begin.

 **(Author's Note: This chapter feels so butchered it's almost depressing. Either way, it works out best with the way I want to take this story. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out soon. Good luck, and Happy Reading! -Orthros)**

 **(PS: Make sure to read up to Chapter V on 'The Red Sky' by Zenxolu to get a full understanding to Zeke and Craig's POVs during this read. Overall, the way Zenxolu and I are writing our crossover causes the story to make sense pretty well if you only read one or the other, but to get a good, detailed understanding, you should read both. Bye! -Orthros)**


	19. Chapter XVI: A Powerful History

**-Castelia City Gym, 5:10 PM, Terry's POV (Human Protagonist)-**

Crossing my arms over my eyes and bending slightly to stay on my feet against the shock waves, I feel my grin waver. "Axinite? You ok?" I call.

Soon enough the dust settles, revealing the gym's grassy floor once again. Axinite is at mid field, standing tall over the prone, body of an unconscious Dewott.

"Dewott is unable to battle! The winner is Axinite the Boldore, which means the victory goes to Terry and Axinite!" An Ace Trainer, who had been serving as a referee for the match, shouted.

I cheered, rushing to midfield and embracing the Boldore. "Nice job!" I praised. "You two did well too, Callen." I add as my traveling companion crouches in the grass as well. He sends a quick grin, flashing a peace sign with one hand. The other sprays a potion on Dewott's arm.

"Thanks. You guys did awesome. Just kinda proves that we still have a long way to go. Either way though, we're gonna crush you in the tournament tomorrow. That's a promise." He says as he returns Dewott to his pokeball and stands.

I return Axinite and stand as well, shaking hands with Callen. "You can try. Are you headed back to the Pokemon Center then?" I ask. At his nod, I hold out Ace's and Axinite's pokeballs. "Would you take them to get checked out? I need to talk to these guys before I leave."

Callen takes the pokeballs and pockets them. "Sure thing. I'll meet you back at the Center tonight then." He finishes, before jogging out of the almost empty Gym. Most of the trainers had finished earlier, and those few that still remained were packing up their things.

I stride over to my spot on the bleachers and sit down. After a moment of rest, I stretch my fingers across the pendant around my neck, where Arceus's Rings encased a Luxury Ball. The pokemon inside responds to my touch, deeply relaxed. I sigh contentedly and pop the ball from the slot in the necklace, widen it and press the button. In a flash of white light, Angel appears, her bluish coloring clashing beautifully with her orange eyes. The Gardevoir smiles and sits next to me.

"Hey, Angel. Doing better?" I ask by way of greeting.

She blushes slightly, but nods nonetheless. "Yeah, I am." She replies, her voice in the back of my head like a wind chime. "About earlier today…"

I cut her off. "You don't need to apologize. I had all day to think about it, and I figure if I was in your position I probably would have reacted the same way."

She nods, but her emotions do anything but agree.

"Good evening, son." A raspy voice sounds behind me. I jump a little and turn. The creator of the voice turns out to be a man in his early thirties, with tanned, rough skin, wearing a sleeveless camouflage shirt, dark grey pants and sturdy black boots. His face seemed just as rugged as the rest of his body, donning a large, jagged scar on his right cheek and a scrunched look, like he spent most of his life looking down the scope of a sniper rifle. His facial expression revealed a cheery, positive demeanor, though.

He laughs slightly. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to startle you. My name is Bryan Wolf. I'm a good friend of Zeke's. I noticed you conversing with your pokemon here." He adds, nodding his head at Angel in greeting. Angel nods slightly in recognition, but says nothing.

Bryan continues. "She's nervous around new people, isn't she?" He asks, though I doubt he wants an answer. "I can tell. I had to go through the same ordeal with my partner as well." He says, pulling out his wallet as he does so. He opens it and turns it around, revealing a photo of a slightly younger Bryan, hugging a Buneary and smiling widely at the camera.

"You two look like you're having fun," I say.

Bryan nods, though a thoroughly depressed look clouds his facial features. "Her name was Calista. We took this photo shortly before I joined the Sinnoh Company. To keep a long story short, though… She was gunned down by Team Plasma… In Sinnoh." He states, a slight bitterness to his tone. It only lasts for a moment, before his face brightens again and he puts his wallet away. "She may be gone, but it's her face I think of when I need a reason to keep fighting."

I nod in understanding. "I'm sorry for your loss, Bryan. She's in a better place though, surely smiling down on you."

 _As for what Team Plasma would be doing in Sinnoh, though, I would sure as Hell love to know…_

"Thanks, Terry." Bryan says, smiling. "Anyway, I was wondering. I'm inviting everyone out to the Snorlax Lounge for dinner tonight, on me. Would you and Angel like to come?"

I've heard rumors of the Snorlax Lounge. The owner enjoys the company of Pokemon and it's usually pretty quiet.

I take a moment to send a thought of mine to Angel. _I think it would be fun. And as for earlier today… If you want to talk about it later, I'll be happy to. But I think we should just take a break from the seriousness and enjoy ourselves._

" _Alright."_

I address the Sinnoh Company soldier. "That sounds great, Bryan."

"Awesome. Let's head out then, shall we?"

 **-Snorlax Lounge, 5:30 PM, Angel's POV (Shiny Gardevoir)-**

"So I sort of dimmed my side of our bond so she wouldn't know where I was, then when she came around the corner I jumped out wearing a realistic Gengar costume, screeching at the top of my lungs!" Terry says, receiving a round of laughter from our group. I narrowed my eyes at him, but I couldn't pass for angry when I was laughing merrily too.

The Snorlax Lounge turned out to be a great hangout, with a slightly darker color scheme that made it more relaxing than dreary. We were all gathered around the table eating out meals and listening to Terry embarrass me with one of our childhood stories, back when I was still a Kirlia.

When I could breathe again, I speak up with Telepathy. "He's got it right so far, but he's leaving the last part out."

Zeke shakes his head, grinning. "Oh? And what is he leaving out, Miss I'm Afraid of Ghost Types?"

I send a mocking glare at him. "First off, I'm not afraid of them. Secondly, Terry is leaving out the part where I hit him in the face with a Thunder Punch, before fleeing the room."

This receives another round of laughter from the team, including Terry, though his face glows red.

"Now she's leaving out the part where she broke my nose."

"Nurse Joy and Audino fixed it though!"

"Still!"

The laughter increases and it takes a while for everyone to be able to breathe again.

Zeke sighs slightly, smiling. Then he turns to Terry. His cheery expression dies as he speaks. "So, Terry, I've been meaning to ask you something… How did you and Angel survive that free fall in Burgh's Gym? You couldn't have teleported, because you still have the same momentum, and you weren't strong enough to stop yourself, you told me that when we first met. What happened?"

I glance at my trainer. His expression seems extremely conflicted. Slowly the other conversations at our table ground to a halt. To be honest, I want to hear this as well. I notice the fork he set on his plate shake slightly, seemingly on it's own accord. I use a weak Confusion to steady it, and address Zeke.

"Could we talk about this la-"

"No, Angel." Terry cuts me off, sighing heavily as he does so. "They need to hear it. Granted," he adds, "I can only theorize. I don't have a clear answer, but based off everything I can think of, I'll give it my best guess." He says.

He takes a sip of water, before setting his glass down. He stares at the cup for a moment, before starting. "I first developed these powers at eleven years old. Angel, still a Ralts at the time, and I sneaked out of the house and were playing in a grassy field we had found earlier that day. Out of nowhere, a small gang of Lillipups attacked. Angel used Confusion on them, threw them against some trees at the edge of the clearing. Three easy . I felt sorry for them, so I was working on taking some potions out of the backpack I had brought with me when a bright light flared up behind me." He pauses, for a moment, smiling at the memory. "I turn around and watch Angel evolve into a Kirlia. Afterwards, when it was time to leave, we were heading out of the clearing when we were ambushed.

"Four Houndoom rushed out of the trees and blew streams of fire, lighting up the grass in a ring around us. The light revealed two Fletchinder with black cloth over their bright colored wings. All of their eyes glittered with intelligence and hatred… I fell to my knees, terrified as a man walked through the flames unscathed. Looking back on it, his clothing must have been fire resistant. He demanded that I hand over Angel, or his pokemon would viciously murder me." Terry pauses.

"So what did you do?" Craig asks, interested.

Terry snorts. "Oh, the logical thing. I screamed at the top of my lungs. Only, instead of his pokemon running towards me to take Angel, they were all attacked by sharp chunks of dirt and rock, flames that seemed to have a mind of their own, and water that defied all laws of physics to chase them away."

Wolf grins. "Telekinesis?"

Terry nods, eyes back on his water glass. "Extremely powerful Telekinesis, and without any control to speak of. It developed at a time when I felt hopeless, desperate, and unspeakably angry. I think that is part of the reason that it's always been really strong. To be honest, I only saw red most of the time, and I fell unconscious afterwards. I only know what happened because Angel showed me her memories. Anyway," he continues, "Afterwards, I devoted almost all of my time to developing my bond with Angel, as well as training myself on my Telekinesis. My biological father, Paul Collins, he had powers just like mine. He trained me in control, and at age 13 I participated in my first International Psychic Trainer Strength and Coordination Test. "IPTSCT' for short. My first year, I placed 5th in the 13 year olds division, and 19th in the 18 and under division. My personal record was 3,108 pounds of steel weights, lifted for the full three minutes and guided through a sort of obstacle course, crafted by metal poles."

Terry pauses for a few moments, and I spot a tear leaking down his cheek. He continues, sounding depressed. "The night of my fourteenth birthday, Team Plasma started a huge forest fire a short way away from Nuvema Town. No one knew their true intentions, but everyone did know that Nuvema would have burned to the ground if someone didn't do something. Dad and his partner, Blade, went into the forest. They used their abilities to cut deep trenches in the ground, and float water from the stream to put out the fires. Their actions delayed the fire long enough for Accumula Town to send in reserve firefighters and about 20 Pokemon Rangers. Thing is… These abilities come at a price. Both Dad and Blade tired themselves so much that they were paralyzed about ten minutes before the firemen got to them…" A sob escapes his throat. "Both Dad and Blade were burned alive by the fire, they died moments before the Rangers found them."

The entire table is silent, and in the shock I notice most of the Lounge's other customers and even the staff listening to the sad tale. Terry takes a deep breath, wipes his eyes, and continues.

"The next year and a half passed by in a sort of haze… I remember getting rushed to the Accumula Town hospital after mom found me on the floor with a bloody wrist… Junior went off on his journey, after months of he and Alex trying to cheer me up… Mom was in a panic, not only because I was suicidal but because my depression was hurting Angel as well."

Zeke frowns at this. "You mean she was depressed too?"

Terry grimaces and shakes his head. "No, I mean physically hurting her. Remember that Kirlia rely heavily on their trainers emotions, more than any other pokemon. I was so incredibly depressed that she was losing the will to live. Her body was hardly functioning. I was literally killing her. She stayed with Professor Juniper quite a lot during that time, so her health would be monitored."

Terry shakes his head slightly. "About a year into this, my mother, Michelle Collins, married my step father, Jeremy Pepper. If you ask her, he was an Arceus given miracle. To be honest, I agree with her. Jeremy devoted himself to helping me. He had telekinetic powers as well, and although he was considerably less stronger than Paul, he continued my training. His partner Gallade, Kory, even allowed himself to be renamed Blade. The lengths they went to save me had no limits."

Terry laughs a little. "About six months later, their endurance payed off. And as a wise man once said, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Angel and I continued our training, and my power skyrocketed so fast that I really didn't know what to do about it. During my next two tests at the IPTSCT, I placed in the number one spot in the 15 year olds division, the 16 year olds division, and both years, number one most powerful underage psychic in the world."

Zeke's eyes widened. "Damn, Terry."

Terry laughs. "My third year was the best. I broke the world record for the most powerful Junior Psychic, lifting 22,564 pounds of weights for the full three minutes, and completing the obstacle course with a perfect coordination score."

A small round of gasps followed this. I myself knew all this already, but I was waiting to see where it was going.

"So from there, I continue my training, and a few months later set out with my buddy, Alex Gates, to travel Unova. Jump to the battle with Lenora at the Nacrene City Gym, and Angel evolves from Kirlia to Gardevoir. During the short rest of the battle, my mind felt overstimulated. It wasn't the cheering or crowds, I could deal with that well enough. In the five days between the Nacrene battle and our battle with Burgh at the Castelia City Gym, however… My powers grew so phenomenally fast that to be quite honest I'm more scared of them than anything. When the Gym's roof collapsed… That was at LEAST 30 thousand pounds of debris, and I held it for the length of about four minutes. Keep in mind that five days before this my record was 22 thousand and afterwards I was so exhausted and overstimulated that I went into a week long coma. I was tired after lifting the roof, sure, but it only took me about two minutes to recover enough to lift several thousand pounds of rock and fly myself on it to the helicopter that Team Plasma used to fire on the Gym."

Terry pauses for a moment, glancing at me. I nod slightly, and he takes a deep breath. "When I entered the copter, two grunts pointed assault rifles at me. Their leader had two pistols buried in Angel's hair, and she was telling the truth when she said that if she let go they would fire. So I buried the rock into the helicopter's tail, forced the pistols away from Angel, causing them to fire into the grunts. After that… We jumped."

Terry snorts, though his mood darkened. "We should have hit the ground with over forty thousand pounds of force… But at the last second I put every bit of energy I had into slowing our fall, as well as pushing us to one side. Thus, when we landed it was only about two hundred pounds. The push to the side made sure it was survivable, but it was still devastating."

Terry, finished with his death defying tale, goes silent. Bryan shakes his head, astonished. "That is crazy…" He trails off.

Craig speaks up. "So you're still having trouble controlling your powers?"

Terry ponders the question for a moment, then shakes his head. "I would have died if Angel hadn't used Heal Pulse on me at the last second… And afterward, we both admitted that we loved one another." His face reddens, as I'm sure mine does, but he forges on. "After that, I've found a sort of balance, and I don't have much trouble with it. The only times I do are when I'm feeling extremely angry, at least so far."

Craig nods. "Fair enough."

Bryan Wolf frowns. "Isn't Pokephilia against the law, though?" He asks.

Terry nods. "Yeah, but there are certain exceptions. For Angel and I, it's allowed, although we can't make a family together until I get us officially registered at a Pokemon Center. Not that we want to do that anything soon." he quickly adds, his face reddening even further.

Bryan laughs, a twinkle in his eyes. "Oh, I can tell you want to."

"What?! No!"

"Sure."

I stop the argument by reaching out with Psychic and slapping Bryan's face with an invisible hand. What follows is a very womanly scream coming from the soldier as he puts a hand to his cheek and staring around wildly. I would scold him, but I'm too busy laughing uncontrollably with the rest of our group, along with most of the now packed Snorlax Lounge.

 **-Pokemon Center Lobby, 7 PM, Terry's POV (Shiny Gardevoir)-**

"We'll see you all tomorrow, then."

"Sounds great, Terry! You better get to the finals so Tana and I can crush you."

"Not if my friends and I have anything to say about it!" Callen adds excitedly as we part ways. I stretch, exhausted but content as we make our way through the lobby and towards Alex's hospital room. Angel resides in her pokeball, already asleep. Callen walks beside me, having returned Ace and Axinite to me, and taken care of his friends as well.

Soon enough we arrive at Alex's room and open the door. Alex talks quietly to Nicky. The Gallade's slender form is devoid of bandages, and he seems extremely drained but happy. They both look up and quietly greet us as we enter. Alex puts a finger to his lips, pointing at another bed with his other hand.

Athena sleeps on the bed, the white fur not quite covering the scarring present on her leg. The Riolu seems to be sleeping very lightly, tossing and turning, occasionally whimpering as she dreams. Alex sighs softly.

"Angel fixed her up as best she could, but the way she acts around humans, she might as well be getting whipped by them. I hope I can help her through this." He says sadly.

I nod mutely. "Listen. If you have any questions, feel free to talk to me. I want her to recover as well." I smile a bit and continue "That being said, the tournament is tomorrow. Don't expect to get far, though. We're gonna destroy you."

Alex struggles to keep his laughter quiet. "Oh, yeah. Sure you are."

I nod my head while Callen waves. "Yep, we are. See you two tomorrow."

Callen and I head back though the hallways to our hotel room, where our beds call us to sleep.

 **-Unknown Location, Midnight, Unknown's POV-**

"Everything is going to plan, other than the news I shared with you."

"Can we do anything about that?"

"No, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem. They won't see it coming."

"Good. Get some shuteye. You have to be ready for tomorrow."

"ο προδότης out."

 **(Author's Note: Tomorrow is the long awaited Castelia City Pokemon Tournament! I wonder what those unknowns have planned… And that name totally isn't translatable from Greek to English to uncover a large hint, so you totally shouldn't try to copy that into Google Translate and translate it into english! Really! Don't do it!"**

 **The above message totally wasn't sarcasm. Don't forget to R/R! Talk to you soon! Happy Reading/Writing! -Orthros)**

 **(PS: ο προδότης is pronounced 'PrO-vO-tis')**


	20. Chapter XVII: The Ceremony (v2)

**(Author's Note - Update 6/19/2016: Sorry about taking such a long break, having some… How should I put it… PC issues.**

 **Anyway, I'm working on Chapter XVIII, and I added a bit on the end here, which is why this got updated first. Hopefully it will be out in a few days, but please, for the sake of my fingers not falling off trying to type on this god forsaken iPad, please don't get your hopes up for a speedy update.**

 **Talk to you all *HOPEFULLY* soon, good luck and Happy Reading/Writing! -Orthros)**

 **-Castelia City Gym, 10 AM, Third Person (Omniscient)-**

"HELLOOO, CITIZENS OF CASTELIA CITYYYY!"

The voice of the announcer, Larry 'Loud Lips' Lorenzo, yelled into his microphone. He talked from his booth, seated at the top of the bleachers at mid field, watching over the endless crowds that not only packed the stands completely but also filled the streets to watch on giant TV screens.

Larry was known all over the word as a great narrator, always able to get a crowd excited with just a few words. Today was no different as the streets were filled with excited screaming and clapping, so much that it descended into a giant roar heard for miles around.

Larry continued, leaning forward in his chair as he did so. "WELCOME, WELCOME TO CASTELIA CITY'S EIGHTH ANNUAL POKEMON TOURNAMENT! CONTESTANTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE COME TOGETHER TODAY TO SHOW YOU THE TRUE MEANING OF EXCITEMENT!" He says, slamming his fist down upon his desk in response the increased cheering.

He sat back down suddenly, becoming much more professional. Motioning at the camera to his side, he watched as his face was projected to the giant screens both inside and outside the arena. When the people had gotten the idea and quieted down a bit, he spoke. "Now, as you all may or may not know, over 100 trainers came to Castelia this week to try and gain entrance into this Tournament. Our judges have watched the competition and chosen the 24 best trainers from this group. Let's meet them, shall we?"

He waves his arm at the camera. This is taken as a queue, because suddenly the screens show one of the large, Coliseum like doors on the Arena floor opening. A trainer, dressed in a short blue skirt and a pink, sleeveless shirt, with red boots, walks out onto the cement field, waving. At her side is an Umbreon.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our first contestant: She took the Sinnoh League by storm, making it all the way to the Finals before being defeated in a harrowingly close battle by Cynthia: Alice Popps from TwinLeaf town, Sinnoh, and her partner Umbreon!"

Soon other trainers start following; A man in his twenties with a Magmortar at his side, a boy of about 12 years, riding on the shoulders of a Beartic, a girl striding along next to a Gothorita, and many others.

"And here he is, the famous Psychic you all know and love, Terry Collins!" Larry shouts. Terry strides confidently onto the field, one hand waving to the crowd, the other fit softly into the hands of the Gardevoir at his side. The audience goes silent for a moment at the spectacle, before giving off their loudest cheer yet.

"And now, the ten year old who dominated all the competition just this morning, after recovering from his death defying escape from the Poison Types at the Sewer Plant, Alex Gates!" Larry shouts as Alex strides slowly out on to the field, one hand holding a cane, though he makes no use of it. Nicky the Gallade walks beside him, and although he seems confident as well, he keeps his head down, reserved and relaxed as usual.

"They sliced their way through everyone in their path, it's Callen Iverra and his partner Dewott!" Callen appears as well, looking slightly green but holding his head high nonetheless. Dewott swaggers along next to him, earning laughs from the crowd at his cockiness.

"The Sinnoh Company soldier who fights on the front line for our freedom, as friendly as he is scary looking, Bryan Wolf, and his partner, Mightyena!" Bryan walks swiftly but professionally onto the field, the pistol secured to his belt easily visible to the crowd. Mightyena follows respectively behind his trainer, paying no attention whatsoever to the cheering fans.

"He's the mystery man of the hour, with his sneaky tricks and powerful surprises, it's Craig Barker and his partner, Dusknoir! And along with him, it seems, last but certainly not least, good looking, good natured Zeke Walker and his partner, Braixen!" Craig and Zeke walk onto the field side by side, with Dusknoir floating along beside Craig and Tana strutting along nervously beside Zeke.

Once all the trainers are lined up, the crowd becomes silent. After a moment, the room darkens and spotlights hit center field. The mid floor disc of the arena dips slightly and opens to reveal a hidden, tubelike elevator.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I may be the announcer, but the host of this awesome event is someone a bit more qualified than me. Allow me to introduce one of the strongest and most spiritual trainers Unova has ever seen, the current Pokemon League Champion, Alder Confianza!" Larry shouts to the crowd as the platform raises up, revealing a strong looking man with a mane of fiery red hair, squarish features, dressed in a tan vest and white pants with ragged ends. Around his neck hang six pokeballs.

Alder waves in response to the chaotic cheering, but his eyes scan the field of trainers. They linger for a moment on the Shiny Gardevoir at Terry's side, as well as the Shiny Braixen next to Zeke, but just as quickly move on.

An assistant jogs up to Alder and hands him a mic, before racing offstage. Alder says, "Hello! My name, as you know, is Alder Confianza. The Castelia City Tournament will begin shortly, but first we have to get our matches!" He waves his arm towards the stadium size TV screen behind him, where 24 trainer cards flash, spinning around wildly. "When these cards finish randomizing themselves, you will see the matches for today! This event is live over four days, with Round One today, the quarterfinals tomorrow, the semifinals on Tuesday, and the Finals on Wednesday! Now, lets see our matchups!"

The crowd cheers as the IDs suddenly freeze in place, showing two lines of twelve. Most notably, Terry Collins vs. Jessie Kinder, Alex Gates vs Alice Popps, Callen Iverra vs Craig Barker, and Zeke Walker vs John Autumn, flashed on screen, connected by a solid gold line.

Terry glances to his left, where Jessie, a 16 year old girl dressed in a t shirt and jeans, happened to be standing next to him. She smiled, but her face was set and there was a fire in her eyes. Terry recognized that look. He saw it whenever he looked in a mirror. He grinned and held out his hand.

"Good luck, and may the best trainer win, eh?"

She laughed a little and shook his hand. "Sounds good to me. Though, don't expect Magnezone and I to go easy on you just because your partner happens to be your girlfriend."

Angel looked over at this and blushed, but she frowned at the same time. "I would be angry if you didn't try your hardest, but even if you did, you won't put a scratch on me!" She states with telepathy.

"Fiery aren't you? I like that." She says, grinning at Angel. "Anyway, it looks like Alder is releasing us. Our match is at one o'clock this afternoon. See you there!" she finishes, before heading towards the door they had come through with the other trainers.

Terry and Angel followed, moments later entering the locker rooms for the contestants. They marched through the room, and although they were silent, a conversation lingered between them.

 _"She seemed strong. I can't wait!"_ Terry thinks.

 _"Neither can I, but remember Alex's battle is at 11, so we need to watch that."_ Angel responds excitedly as the pair get out onto the street.

"Hey, isn't that Alder?" says Terry, pointing in the direction of a small cafe across the street. A man sat at one of the outdoor tables, dressed in dark clothing and trying not to be noticed. He wore a large baseball cap and appeared to have a backpack of some sort on.

Angel thought the man's face looked familiar, but it was clear enough he didn't want passerby to find him. _If only I could change my appearance that well, maybe these people wouldn't stare that much._ She thought to herself, catching the eye of a couple of trainers standing on a street corner. They quickly looked away. Sighing, she set off towards the Pokemon Center, Terry a couple of steps behind her.

 **-Castelia City Gym Locker Rooms, 10:50 AM, Alex's POV-**

"Alright, you three. Our opponent is a Sinnoh League finalist, a super strong trainer." I say, sitting across from my friends. Nicky the Gallade, Kelly the Lillipup, and Athena the Riolu all have determined looks upon their faces, nervous but ready for the challenge.

"We don't know how she's going to battle, but chances are she'll have the upper hand. But remember, we've been training hard too. We're gonna go out there and give her the battle of her life, and even if we don't win we'll make damn sure everyone remembers how strong we are. You guys ready?!" I shout, grinning. The other three give nods of assent, so I return them to their pokeballs and head to the door.

A TV screen plays by the entrance. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, our first two contestants! Alice Popps of TwinLeaf Town, Sinnoh, and Alex Gates of Nuvema Town, Unova!"

I take a deep breath as the doors open, revealing the blinding light of the arena. The roof was still broken, though it had been repaired well enough to be deemed a safe open air coliseum, with the full repair to come later. The doors open fully and I stride out onto the field, head high, to a roaring crowd. Across the arena, Alice does the same, waving and smiling. We meet at midfield, her twenty two year old self looking down at me. Her face changes to a determined, fiery glare. I match the intensity of it, and we shake hands, before turning on heel and walking to our allowed spots on the arena floor.

A referee comes out a door at midfield and stands on a small podium. "This will be a three on three single battle between Alice Popps and Alex Gates. The winner is decided when one side is unable to battle. You may substitute Pokemon one time during the battle. Begin!"

"Kelly, let's go!"

"Staravia, it's time! Start this off with Quick Attack!"

As soon as they appear, Staravia is a black and grey blur, flying around the arena at high speeds.

"Double Team!" I retaliate. Kelly rushes around the floor, multiple copies of her popping up all over the arena. Staravia flies through the one closest him, but only succeeds in destroying an illusion. "Now, while Staravia is low! Use Bite!"

The Lillipup copies disappear as the one real pokemon jumps up and lands on top of Staravia, biting into his wing. Staravia screeches as he attempts to stay in the air, and after a moment of panic seems to balance out Kelly's weight. Moments later the pair are high in the sky, Kelly hanging by her chompers from the wing.

"Throw her off, Staravia!" Alice calls. Staravia goes into a barrel roll, spinning so fast that Kelly is forced to let go high above the ground or risk breaking her neck. She turns over in mid air and succeeds in landing on her feet, but the fall must've been painful.

"Brave Bird!"

 _Oh shit,_ I think to myself. The second she calls the move I know for certain that the Bite must've been powerful enough that Staravia won't be able to fight much longer, so she's going all or nothing. I grin slightly. "If that's the case, use Take Down!"

Kelly runs full force, freight training towards Staravia, who's now glowing in blue flames and flying just above the ground full speed towards her. When they're twenty feet away, it happens.

Kelly suddenly glows in a purple and white energy, and each and every foot fall shakes the ground. They hit full force into each other and the pent up energy creates an explosion, rocking the stands. Both pokemon are thrown backwards, into the dirt, where they lay still.

"Kelly the Lillipup and Staravia are unabl-" The ref cuts himself off as Kelly twitches, before struggling to her feet. She's breathing hard and all four legs are shaking, but there's an unmistakable triumph in her eyes. The crowd roars its approval as the ref remakes the call and I raise my hands in victory. "Staravia is unable to battle, the winner is Kelly the Lillipup!"

Alice returns Staravia to her pokeball, shaking her head in wonder. "Alright then. That Lillipup of yours sure has guts, Alex. Learning Giga Impact twenty feet before they hit. Jeez. Ok, come on out, Breloom!"

She tosses another pokeball into the air and a Breloom appears, a cocky grin on it's face.

I call to Kelly. "Return, Kelly. You battled well, take a short rest." She returns to the ball in a flash of red light.

"Alex Gates has used his substitute for this battle." The ref calls as I toss another pokeball. Nicky joins the Breloom on the battlefield, unmoving but alert. I noticed that after evolution the Gallade seemed much less energetic outside of battle. The change didn't seem to suit him well, but I didn't try to argue. "Nicky the Gallade versus Breloom, begin!"

"Use Mach Punch!" Alice shouts. Breloom dashes forward, closing the distance between he and Nicky in a couple of seconds.

"Counter with Close Combat!" I shout as Breloom starts throwing a flurry of punches. Nicky matches his speed and precision, blocking with his bladed arms and sending just as many punches towards his foe. Nicky lowers his left side, and for a moment I fear he made a mistake as Breloom brings his leg into the Gallade's chest. There's a gasp of pain but just as quickly he retaliates, grabbing Breloom leg and throwing him over his head and swinging him back into the ground, face first.

"Use Ice Punch!" I shout, and Nicky's arm glows dark bluish white as he smashes it into Breloom back, causing the pokemon to screech. He backs off as the Breloom struggles to gain his footing, returning to my side. I nod to him, and he sends a quick grin my way. We turn our attention back to the battlefield as the Breloom falls back into the dirt in a faint.

"Breloom is unable to battle! The winner is Nicky the Gallade!" The ref shouts as Alice returns Breloom to his pokeball.

 _Two out of three down! But the last one… We're at a severe disadvantage…_ I think to myself as Alice throws her last pokeball. Umbreon appears from it, landing gracefully on the arena floor. Nicky narrows his eyes.

"Nicky the Gallade versus Umbreon, begin!"

"Umbreon, Shadow Ball!" Alice shouts. A dark sphere of energy appears in front of Umbreons snout, fired off faster than I could think. Fortunately Nicky has a faster reaction time than me, he tucked and rolled under the sphere, using the momentum to push himself to his feet as the sphere blew up behind me.

Not wanting to get caught off guard again, I say "Alright Nicky! Use Drain Punch!"

The Gallade dashes forwards and in a split second is in front of the Umbreon, swinging a green lighted fist.

"Dodge and use Shadow Ball!" Alice counters. Umbreon ducks, practically laying on the floor and causing Nicky to lose balance. I sense his panic a split second before Umbreon unleashes a Shadow Ball at point blank, right on his chest. The explosion is massive as he is thrown across the field, landing in the dirt at my feet.

He's breathing heavily and his arms are shaking, but I can sense his will to keep fighting.

"C'mon, Nicky!" I encourage him. Slowly he stands, facing away from me.

I smile, but it suddenly slides off my face at the look of horror on Alice's face. The crowd sees what I don't and suddenly Larry is saying into his mic "Someone get Nurse Joy!"

A moment later my confusion turns to terror as Nicky drops to the ground on his side. His front heart case has a jagged crack down the middle, thin but slowly oozing blood.

"NICKY!" I shout, tearing down the field and coming to rest at his side. I support him in a sitting position and inspect the crack, but I'm no professional.

"It's not too bad, Alex." I hear the voice in my head. Nicky. "Not fatal at least. Though I shouldn't chance it. Now help me stand. I'm walking to the center, not riding in one of those Arceus damned stretchers again."

I grin slightly, knowing he's being honest. "Crazy bitch." I say as I slowly stand, take his hands in mine and pull him to his feet. He's a bit unsteady but after a moment stands tall despite the blood running down his chest. Seconds later Nurse Joy is on the field, along with a couple of assistants. Nicky shakes his head slightly at their offer for assistance and instead walks out of the field on his own legs.

 _Maybe he should teach me how to be strong…_ I think to myself as I walk behind him, stopping in the doorway to the emergency exit at Alice's wave. The Umbreon is at her side, and unmistakably guilty look on her face.

She shakes her head slightly, nervous. "I'm sorry about that, we didn't mean to hurt him so badly. Heat of the moment…"

I shrug my shoulders. "Yeah, well, he walked out on his own. Besides, it will take a hell of a lot more to make Nicky stop fighting. Speaking of which, good game. I'm gonna have to forfeit though, I don't have three members now." I add, holding out my hand.

She nods and shakes it. "I'll win it for ya!" She smiles.

I nod. "You'll have to get through Terry and Angel first, they're one hell of a team. Good Luck!"

 **-Pokemon Center Hotel Room, 12:30 PM, Angel's POV-**

I giggle. "Sorry, Nicky. I would heal it, but I'm still not very used to Heal Pulse. I don't want to scramble you any more than you already are."

"You healed Athena just fine." Nicky groans. "This is much easier than that." He adds. He's laying on Alex's bed, washed and bandaged by Nurse Joy. She had agreed that the crack wasn't fatal, but it would need time to heal and would most certainly scar afterwards.

I shake my head sadly. "I didn't have a choice at the time. It was heal her or let her bleed out. You, on the other hand, are not bleeding out. So stop complaining."

"You heard the Gardevoir, shut up." Terry's joking voice sounds from the other room, where he was preparing for our battle. Everyone laughs, though Nicky's turns into a cough pretty quick. Callen and Alex are sitting on Callen's bed, exchanging info. Callen, it turned out, had been steamrolled by Craig Barker, and he, Zeke, and Bryan Wolf had all defeated their challengers.

I glance at the clock just as Terry strides out of his room. "Ready then?" He asks me. I nod. "Right. Let's go! Alex, cheer us on, ok?"

Alex grins. "Will do."

 **-Hotel Room, 1:10 PM, Alex's POV-**

I lay in my bed, comfortably relaxing as I watch the TV that stands across from me. Nicky is laying on Callens bed, atop a thick sheet in case he starts bleeding again. He, too, intently watches, excited for the battle to begin.

My excitement turns to horror as a dark, rancid looking cloud of dark green smoke defends over the field and the air fills with screams.


	21. Chapter XVIII: Interference

**-Castelia City Gym, 1:05 PM, Terry's POV-**

"Ace, come out!" I shout as I throw the orb into the air. The Watchog appears in a flash of light, glaring in the direction of its opponent, Nidoking. The beast stamps the ground and roars in defiance, but the Watchog remains unfazed. As we wait for the judge to make the call, my thoughts flash back to the conversation I had participated in the night before.

 _Had I done the right thing, explaining all that? It just doesn't feel right…_

My thoughts return to the battle before me as Angel puts her hand on my shoulder. Both she and Axinite are standing behind me, cheering Ace on. I turn a cocky smile to Angel, letting her know that I'm good. Across the arena, Jessie Kinder's other two pokemon, Magnezone and Furfrou, stand on either side of the trainer herself. The crowd is tense with excitement as the judge walks onto the field, reaching his podium in moments.

He nods to the both of us and raises his flags. "Battle begi-"

The rest of his words are turned into a choking scream as a blossoming flower of blood appears on his chest. He topples over into the dirt of the arena as the world dissolves into chaos. Before I know what I'm doing I'm running towards him, Angel right on my heels. In seconds I reach the man. I turn him over onto his back to find a bullet hole in his chest, right where his heart should be.

I back away so quickly I practically launch myself into Axinite. The Boldore shifts so I don't impale myself on one of his rock spikes as I slide off him, shaking like a leaf. Angel leans over me as officers swarm the field, but before I can register anything else the air is filled with even more panicked cries. I look up in horror as a greenish black cloud swirls down to the ground, catching a split second glimpse of dozens of Koffing and Weezing expelling the toxic gas.

Within moments the arena is completely covered, the smoke turning day to a night so black I couldn't see two feet in front of my face. I begin to retch horribly as the gas works its way into my system, quickly covering myself in the remains of my breakfast. Over the sound of my own horror I hear Angel nearby doing the same. Suddenly I hear several cannon blasts, mixed with what sounds almost like a toaster the size of the Lumiose Tower building going off. For a split second I feel like the poison is making me lose my sanity, but several distinct cries tell me that's impossible.

They are the cries of the current pokemon on the field being attacked. Nothing matters anymore as they are silenced and I can sense the minds of the Gardevoir, Boldore and Watchog being pulled away from me as they slip out of consciousness, blinded by pain.

In a desperate attempt to breathe, I unleash a telekinetic wave around me. I have no idea if it would help, but to my surprise it clears the smoke in a clean ring. I push out a much larger force and in seconds the entire arena is devoid of smoke. Looking up, I see six floating devices, each almost the size of a house, flying towards a helicopter. The devices appeared sphere shaped, with a basketball like frame of metal emitting a forcefield encasing my friends. Jessie Kinder's pokemon appeared trapped as well.

A wave of boiling acid seemed to surge through me as I spot the Team Plasma logo on the side of the chopper, threatening to make me vomit again. I force my hands into the sky, charging up a burst of telekinetic energy.

Just as I'm about to release, A white hot spike of pain drives itself deep into the base of my neck, causing me to lose my concentration and fall to the ground, screaming in pain. I manage to turn myself over onto my back, and through teary eyes I see a Dusknoir's cold, unforgiving eye staring down at me, it's arm loosing the telltale glow of a Shadow Punch. I flinch back, as if trying to sink into the dirt. Through my hazy pain, however, I hear a pair of fingers snap, and immediately the Dusknoir backs off.

I turn my eyes towards the noise and spot a smudge of color. I blink the tears out of my eyes and the smudge comes into focus, turning my blood cold.

Craig Barker stands beside me, his hard features revealing no emotion. I choke back a sob as the realization dawns on me.

"Y-you… You work f-for Team Plasma?" I force the words out.

Craig remains motionless, but the corners of his mouth turn up slightly, confirming my question. He stares down at me as if to say _Well, you figured it out! Hooray! A tad bit late though, too bad._

A scream builds up and dies in my throat as I start shaking again, but this time from anger. "I will tear you apart, you sorry excuse for a human fucking bei-" The rest is cut off and turned into a scream as Dusknoir lights his right arm up in a claw of purplish fire and takes it down my side, opening me up like a suitcase. Blood streams out of the cut and red and black spots dance in my vision.

Craig stares down at me, his features morphing into a look of disgust and disappointment. He sighs slightly, before turning on heel and walking off, Dusknoir in his wake. I turn my head just in time to see him return Dusknoir to his pokeball, before straddling a floating ladder beside him and flying away.

I struggle to stay awake, but I feel like the fading screams are coming from miles away. The last thing I see is Alder's concerned face as he slides into the dirt at my side, splashing the red mud at my side all over creation.

 **-6:15 PM, Terry's POV-**

I slept fitfully as Craig Barker's face churned in my dream, disgusted with my very existence. Then Craig morphed into Angel, chained up by her arms as demons surrounded her, decorated in tools of destruction. The scene continuously shifted for several minutes, though I had no idea how much time really passed, getting worse and worse until I finally realized I could actually move.

I pushed myself quickly to my feet and inspected my body. I appeared unharmed, wearing a basic white t-shirt and white sweat pants, nothing else. After a moment I realized I had absolutely no idea where I was.

I looked around wildly, which only made me even more confused, but my mouth dropped open in amazement as well. I sat on the floor of a building so large it made the Lumiose Train Station look like a broom cupboard. The area upon which I sat was in a slight depression in the floor, and below me, while the floor felt solid, it seemed to open up into another world. The scene kept shifting, showing me different memories. The night my father disappeared. The night Angel evolved, when we were attacked by a Pokemon Hunter.

But it showed good memories, too. The day Angel evolved into a Gardevoir. Our first kiss within the rubble of Burgh's Gym. Days that we played for hours, way back when she was still a Ralts, where we would lay about for days on end, watching the clouds and having fun in a carefree manner.

Longing welled up inside me, and I forced myself to get up and explore before I got to caught up in my emotions. I climbed out of my two foot deep pit, and immediately the room, which had been in semi-darkness, flared to light. Torches, lit in different blends of color, blazed to life around the walls, which had been designed in a regal way. Instead of just a grand white, however, they flew in a multitude of colors, and the colors seemed to be bending and shifting as I watched, transfixed.

I tore my gaze away as a white light flared to my left. At the end of the monstrous room, a throne seemed to appear out of nowhere. Upon it sat a small form, though I couldn't tell what it was. Fear welled up inside me, but almost immediately the being seemed to respond.

" _Do not fear, young one. Come to me."_ The being said, it's voice floating through my head as a boat would float through a lazy river. The voice held no hint of hostility, and my curiosity got the better of me. I approached the throne, which took a good ten minutes of walking.

When I got within sight of the creator of the voice, my eyes widened. I dashed the rest of the way and knelt at the feet of the Goddess Mew herself. She seemed to find this amusing. Her throne seemed like a wide, couch like seat, covered in a plush velvet cushion. She laid upon it as if bored, like she met with mortals this way every twenty minutes. Only her eyes revealed a slight curiosity, along with a wisdom that I longed to have, though I didn't know why.

" _Relax, Terry, and rise."_ She said in a friendly tone. I rose to my feet, my breathing shallow.

She smiled warmly at me, her tail swishing catlike behind her. " _You need not fear me, Terry Collins. You have questions. Ask them."_

I was so overwhelmed at being in her presence that I almost didn't process her words. After a moment I coughed and managed to choke out: "Where are we?"

Mew took a moment to gaze around what I believed to be a throne room, before responding. " _We are nowhere, to be honest. This is not a real place. I created this mindscape within your head, so I could meet you here."_

I vaguely understood that, having heard about a technique that the most skilled of psychic types could do, which sounded very similar. "Are my friends ok?"

Mew winced slightly, and for a moment I was afraid I had said something wrong. Then she sighed. " _Callen Iverra and Alex Gates are ok. Zeke Walker is recovering from his injuries, as you are as well… As for your family of pokemon… They have been captured by the group of humans that call themselves Team Plasma. Zeke Walker's… girlfriend… has been captured as well, as have the Nidoking, Magnezone, and Furfrou that Jesse Kinder befriended."_

It took a moment for those words to sink in, and when they did, i stumbled slightly, suddenly dizzy with fear. I did my best to straighten back up, then forced myself to look Mew in the eyes. "How do I save them?"

Mew seemed unsurprised by this question. " _Child, do you know of the legends of the Trios?"_ When I shook my head, she continued. " _Perhaps I should explain. When my husband, Arceus, created the land, He knew for certain that He would not be able to maintain the world and its many beings on His own. So he created many other strong sons and daughters to do his bidding as He commands it. They are all truly powerful, and immortal."_

" _But,_ she added, a bitterness to her voice, " _Fate is Cruel. There are rules even beings as strong as He are forced to follow. He was only able to transfer the kind of power, second to only Himself, to twelve of the gifted thirty beings He created to do his bidding. The rest, while they became incredibly powerful, while they still became immortal, they only received a small amount of that power to use."_

Mew sighed heavily, resting her head onto her seat. " _The beings that have the strong power were split into different groups, as decreed by Arceus, to handle different parts of the world. Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza handle all things related to weather, preventing disasters that could hurt people and pokemon alike. They are spirited rivals, and while they occasionally fight, in the end they protect humanity._

" _The Stabilization Trio of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina were given the task of preventing the fabrics of Time and Space from distorting the world. Giratina was tasked with caring for the reverse world and making sure that nothing that affected the fabrics of Space-Time from affecting the world through the Reverse World._

 _Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem are known as the Tao trio. They are tasked with keeping balance and harmony between humans and pokemon. Reshiram represents Truth, while Zekrom Represents Ideals. These… visions, they hardly ever see hand in hand. Thus, Reshiram and Zekrom are there to prevent wars as best they can, for those wars started by conflict between truth and ideals are the worst of their kind. Kyurem, on the other hand, represents the absence of Truth and Ideals, and is only called in when Reshiram and Zekrom are unable to help further._

 _Finally we have the Circle Trio. Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde represent the Circle of Life and Death, of Creation and Destruction, and many things that go along with it. Xerneas is supportive of Life, keeping the scale from tipping in favor of Life and thus unbalancing the world. Yveltal, on the other hand, keeps Death reined in and prevents Spirits from merging with the living world. Zygarde is the mediator of the three, hardening the thin, fragile line between life and death."_

This was a lot to process. True, we had learned similar legends in Legendary History, but the way they interconnected was new. Something else was nagging at me though as she finished speaking. "Lady Mew," I ventured, "You spoke of only twelve Legends. You said there were at least thirty. I do not see the problem with the distribution of power that of which you already spoke of, either."

Mew's mouth gained the tiniest bit of a grin. " _I knew you were smart, young one. And so the story continues. The others were the Legendary Birds, the Legendary Beasts, Legendary Titans, the Lake Guardians of Sinnoh, the Forces of Unovian Nature, and the Original Swords of Justice. It would take three of them to stand up one of the Pokemon that make up the forces that are the Balance Trios. And that, young Terry, is where the problem arises."_

Mew sighed slightly, seemingly depressed at the very thought of this 'problem.' " _The humans that make themselves known as Team Plasma are targeting the few pokemon humans refer to as 'shiny' because their DNA was given a special gene, a gift from Arceus to a trustworthy soul. They can become exceptionally powerful. If Team Plasma discovers how to use this gene and give it to a human or pokemon of their choosing, they can create an army that would be powerful enough to capture the lesser Legendary Trios. From there, They will power up the lesser Legendaries and use them to take control of the stronger Legendaries."_

Mew looked me in the eyes, her features contorting into a fiery expression. " _Team Plasma's final objective is to take control of all the Legendaries and use them, while they are powered up by the experiments of the Shiny DNA, to overthrow Arceus and myself."_

For a moment the room was so silent that I feared I had gone deaf, then I blinked. "How do I stop them?"

Mew seemed about to answer, but suddenly the room blinked out of existence for a split second, then reappeared. " _You are waking."_ Mew said sadly. " _Remember me and do not despair, Terry Collins. Good Luck."_

The last thing I saw was her sad smile, a lone tear flowing down one cheek.

 **-Castelia City Pokemon Center, 9:45 PM, Terry's POV-**

I opened my eyes to see myself laid out on a hospital bed. I got a quick view of the basic room before the pain hit, causing me to squeeze my eyes closed and moan in pain. A moment later my eyelids, which had been glowing red due to the bright light shining on them, faded to black as a shadow passed over me. I opened my eyes again to see Callen Iverra's face right up in front of mine, and I immediately flinched backwards, pushing myself deeper into the thick pillows behind me and causing another wave of nauseating pain to flow through my side.

Callen backs off, muttering "Sorry," as he does so. I see that Alex Gates, Zeke Walker, and Alder Confianza are in the room as well, hanging back a bit. I turn my attention to Zeke.

"You trusted him." I said, my voice dripping in venom.

Zeke looks at me, his face filled with despair. "I did."

"I should kill you for letting him near Angel."

"I know."

"Tana the Braxien got taken as well."

"I know."

Maybe it's because his voice is shaky, or his face becomes more heartbroken with each word, or even because he isn't trying to deny it, but my anger fades. "We need to rescue them."

I try to get out of bed, but the second I move my leg, the pain returns with so much force that I screech and retch, nearly releasing whatever else was left in my system. Immediately, Alder is at my side, forcing me back into my regular position.

"You're not going anywhere in that condition." Alder says to me sternly. I ignore him and continue to struggle, panting and moaning from the painful effort. After a moment he slaps me. Hard. For a moment I only see stars as I fall, stunned, back to my pillows.

Alder stares down at me. "Sorry, kid, but you need to listen. First off, I know you're worried about your pokemon, but you need to relax. Craig Barker wasn't the only guy I know that works for Team Plasma. I've got several insiders, all of which are trustworthy. They've reported that we have a few days until the experiments go down. Angel and the other pokemon are being imprisoned until then, but they are being kept in good condition. Now, if you promise not to struggle more, I'll let you go and explain the plan."

I nod and he takes his hands off me. "We'll stay here tonight so you can rest. Tomorrow a special healer is coming in that will be able to restore you of that cut, then we'll set out. Team Plasma's main base of operations is near Lacunosa Town, in a place called Terminus Cave. We can get there well before they are killed and lay siege to the base. That should drive them out of Unova for good, I hope."

I take all of this in, looking around at my friends in the room. All of them wear grim, determined expressions.

I stare Alder in the eyes. "Alright."

 **(Author's Note: Holy crap, this went way differently than I imagined it would. I'm also sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I didn't have much say in my PC dieing. I'll do my best to get back on track, but I'm not promising anything. Talk to you all soon, Good Luck, and Happy Reading/Writing! -Orthros)**


	22. Chapter XIX: Lines to be Crossed

**-Unknown Location, 3:38 AM, Unknown's POV-**

" _You failed to protect him."_

 _I failed…_

" _You deserve worse than death…"_

 _I agree…_

"AAAAAAAAAAUGHH!"

Through the haze of pain I see a pair of eyes. What lies within them surprises me, as I thought only cruelty could exist here.

It's a look of pity. Of heartbreak. Of anger. Yet once I lock my gaze upon those eyes they vanish, leaving me to my endless screaming.

 _Never ending…_

"Don't let her go!"

"Heart rate at 320%."

"Good Lord! Sedate her!"

 _I deserve it..._

Darkness.

 **-Lacunosa Town, 2:10 AM, Alex's POV-**

The town is so silent it seems almost unreal. Compared to Castelia City, which was always alive with white noise, the town, more village of Lacunosa is deathly quiet. My footsteps echo on the cobblestone walkways, as do the ones of the Gallade that walks next to me. I can tell that Nicky is extremely upset about the events of the last day, being shut up in his pokeball while we flew the sixish hour flight from Castelia to here, unable to help. But I also know he's terrified, even if he doesn't show it.

Arceus knows I am too.

Soon enough, our silent walk brings us to a small bridge, the one that goes over the main road down below. A dark silhouette stands at the top, looking out over the quiet town. I sigh slightly and look at Nicky. I know he's worried about him, too. I pull a pokeball from my pocket and tap it on the Gallade's arm, returning him with an eye-stabbing flash of red light.

With that done, I slowly approach the person. He makes no notice of me, but it's clear he knows I'm there. After a moment I'm standing next to him. Terry's emerald green eyes stare almost vacantly out onto the town, in the direction of Terminus Cave. I take a moment to work up my courage and speak.

"Where did Zeke go, anyway? I saw him board a different helicopter than us." I say.

"He went to Pinwheel forest to meet up with a General there, supposedly. They're working on helping some of the pokemon that have been liberated from smaller Plasma bases." Terry responds, his voice dull.

I nod. After a few moments of silence, I state gently, "You should get some sleep. We're going into that base tomorrow, and we're stopping Team Plasma for good."

Terry flinches slightly at this, but otherwise doesn't respond. I know I can't do much else, so with that I turn and start heading back to the Pokemon Center.

I'm at the bottom of the bridge when he speaks. "They won't be stopped with just that."

I freeze and turn around slowly. Terry is staring at me, a dead expression on his face. "What are you talking about?" I ask nervously.

Terry sighs, shakes himself slightly and strides down the bridge path and ends up in front of me. He grips my shoulders and speaks so quietly and seriously that it's hard to hear him.

"You cannot tell anyone what I am about to tell you. Not Zeke, not Callen, not anyone. Got it?" He asks.

I gulp and nod quickly. He notices my nerves and immediately takes his hands off me. "I'm sorry, I'm just not sure what to believe at this point. I feel like I'm losing my mind." He says. He looks straight at me. "I think Mew visited me in my dreams, while I was unconscious."

It takes me a moment to register what those words mean, and I would have burst out laughing if his expression wasn't so serious. "What? What happened?"

Hearing the explanation of his encounter with the Goddess, I'm sure now that he isn't making it up. It's way too detailed to be fake.

"To sum it up, Team Plasma is in EVERY region, and they're only part of the problem. Their final goal is to dethrone Arceus."

I shake my head in disbelief as we round the corner and the Pokemon Center comes into view. "What do we do then?"

Terry shrugs. "Mew said to do what we can here, as a start. I have a feeling though… I don't think we're the only ones to take part in this battle."

A few moments of silence follows this remark, and after that Terry pats my shoulder and heads inside. I watch from the doorway as he climbs the Center stairs and disappears from sight. Soon enough I do the same, ending up in my allowed room. I lay in bed and stare at the ceiling, wondering how I got mixed up in all this.

And whether or not my friends will make it out alive.

Whether or not I will make it out alive.

 **-Outskirts of Lacunosa Town, 9:25 AM, Terry's POV-**

Concentrating hard, I fling my hands skyward. A dozen large boulders, easily a thousand pounds each, fly towards the heavens as well. I flex and turn my fists in a circular motion. The stones spin like a ghostly merry-go-round, increasing speed until they blur into one large dark brown oval. I keep them like that for a slow count to one hundred.

After one hundred, I bring them to a stop and lower them to the ground. I take a moment to fight through the momentary nausea that overcomes me when I let my concentration slip, but it quickly overwhelms me. I would have eaten dirt, but at the last second a pair of strong hands gripped my shoulders and held me upright. I shake my head and steady myself.

I turn around to stare into the eyes of a Gym Leader, one I had only heard of only recently and only seen on TV. Jasmine seems as energetic as she was during her interview, when she rescued Alex. But she also supports a grim, tired pair of eyes. Standing a few feet behind her is Katie Winters.

"What are you two doing here?" I ask casually, though I think I already know the answer.

"I should ask you the same thing. You're damn lucky you haven't killed yourself out here. You didn't tell anyone where you were, you've been trying, and _failing,_ to practice telekinesis, and you would've landed on your ass if Jasmine hadn't taken pity on you and caught you! You need to get inside and sleep before we head out." Katie retorts, her voice kind but stern.

Part of me knows she's right, but my anger gets the best of me. "Don't tell me what to do! I can't sleep. I've tried. And I'm not strong enough to win, sleep or no. The only thing left to do is train and hope I'm good enough."

Jasmine looks nervous, but Katie just snorts. "And if you're not?"

"As long as I get her to safety, it doesn't matter what happens to me." I respond, my voice cold.

Katie shakes her head, almost laughing. "Oh bullshit. You and I both know Angel would be heartbroken if you died. If you get yourself killed, I guarantee you she will commit suicide. And you know I'm right." She pauses for a moment to take out her Alakazam's pokeball and release him. She takes Jasmine's hand, then looks at me and speaks again. "And if you don't, than you're a horrible excuse for a trainer, a psychic, and a boyfriend."

With that, Katie grips Charlie's arm and the two female trainers vanish in a flash of purple light.

I stand there in the dirt, my mind completely blank. After several minutes of staring at the spot where they teleported away, I vigorously shake myself. A nearby creek flows lazily through the underbrush, so I take a moment to freshen up. My face holds a determined look. Only one thought flows through my head.

 _I won't lose you._

 **-Plasma Admin's Private Office, 11:34 PM, Unknown's POV-**

I sit alone in my office, on the brink of a new era. That blasted Gardevoir and Braixen are in my possession, and within 30 minutes the procedures will begin. My oak desk is scattered with papers, as are the two peg boards hung on either side, dangling from the walls close by. On top of a particularly messy stack sits my phone, already encrypted as ordered by myself.

A crash sounds off in the distance, causing me to jump. My left arm hits the left pegboard and sends it smashing to the floor, scattering papers all over creation. Before I can even pick up the phone to yell at one of the blasted Admins I hired, the speaker crackles to life.

"Apologizes, Mr. Ghetsis, Sir." It's an elderly voice belonging to Zinzolin. He's nervous. "We're under siege by a large force. It seems to be a combined effort from the Unova Military and the Sinnoh Company. We have an easy bottleneck for them in the entrance to the cave, however. Our forces are easily holding them."

I scowl deeply and click the button next to the speaker. "Good. But just in case, lock down the inner doors."

"As you wish, Lord Ghetsis."

With that I push my chair over to the fallen pegboard and sit down heavily in it. "Blasted thing…" I mutter to myself as I start reattaching the board to the wall. One by one I replace the fallen papers as I wait for the phone to ring. And soon enough, it does.

I pick up the receiver. "Ghetsis…" The caller says, his voice slick with venom.

"Hello, Hades." I state quietly. "How are you?"

The man snickers. "Getting along. Last mission went a bit sideways, unfortunately. That stupid Gallade jumped in the way of my bullet." He sounds almost depressed. Then he perks up. "At least he bled a lot. Sounds pretty spicy up there, too."

It's my turn to laugh. "You could say that. Do you have a rendezvous point?"

"Of course," he replies. "Just make sure our… cargo is securely contained. I will expect to meet you soon. I have no need to stay in Hoenn anyway. My boss has things under control."

I smile. "Good. See you soon, old friend."

"It will be my pleasure."

I hang up the phone and am just about to leave when I notice a stray piece of paper that I missed from the pegboard. I hunch over and pick it up.

It's a picture of a 14 year old boy blowing out some birthday candles. I stare at his eager face.

"My son…" I whisper to no one. "I am doing the right thing. I promise."

The boy's emerald green eyes say nothing back, so I simply drop the photo on my desk and whisk out the door. As I'm walking out the door, I grab my mic.

"Start the procedures."

 _Soon you will understand, son. Soon._

 **-Route 18, 11:25 PM, Terry's POV-**

"Alright, you all know the drill." Benjamin Cunningham stated, his voice low but authoritative. His White Coat Rangers jacket, whose pins marked him as Leader, fluttered as he paced. He addressed myself, as well as Alex, Callen, Zeke, and a small group of men and women, some with m16s, others with pokeballs.

"These kids are Terry Collins and Alex Gates. Both have seen combat but have minimal training. Both are strong trainers." He continues, flashing an approving look at us. "Respect them. Now, Zeke will be taking his crew, and Alex Gates, whom have already been debriefed, to help on the front lines. We'll be bashing down Team Plasma's front lines and keeping the fighting there. On the other hand, Scott Jefferson will be leading a team in behind enemy lines. That's you guys. Your main objective is to liberate all hostages, especially any Shiny pokemon, before they are injured. All personnel must be considered hostile. You have permission to kill on site." He glances at me. I nod, so he continues, gesturing a hand at me. "Terry here is the strongest human underage psychic on the planet, and probably the strongest in general, too, from what I've seen in notes and recordings. He'll teleport you all into the kitchens, of which he has already been shown in blueprints. Protect him, he's your strongest resource your only way out." Benjamin finishes.

The White Coats nod at me. Scott comes forward and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Glad to have you on my team, kid. But you know the scene in all the movies where the hero bails from the team and goes in alone? Don't do that please. I like having my six covered." He says cockily.

I snort, glad that I finally got some sleep. "Like I would need you all to help me blow up a Plasma base," I joke.

The White Coats exchange laughs. Scott grins. "That's the spirit, kid. Let's go save your girlfriend.

 **(Author's Note: How are you all liking the plot twists? I have many, many things in mind. Stories tend to tie together, after all. Sorry this took so long to get out! I've had problems getting myself motivated. I swear, that will not happen again. I plan to have chapter XX out by August 10th at ABSOLUTE latest. Good luck, and Happy Reading/Writing! -Orthros)**

 **(PS: THANKS FOR 8,200+ VIEWS!)**


	23. Chapter XX: Wasted Sacrifice

**-Route 18 Camp (Zeke Walker's Division), 11:30 PM, Alex's POV-**

I stare at the red and white sphere for a moment, cursing myself for this chain of events. Athena, the Riolu I saved in the Castelia Sewers, has been healing well under Nicky's care. She's still terrified of most humans, but she gets along alright with me. The problem is that with everything going on, I have neglected to talk or care for her as much as I should have.

After a moment I steel my nerves and press the button. In a flash of light, Athena appears. The scarring on her skin is hard to see in the dim light through her white and black fur, but it's still there. She takes a moment to check her surroundings, before climbing onto my lap. We sit together silently on the log that I've been waiting on for Zeke, embraced.

After a moment I speak up. "I'm sorry that I haven't been there for you. I promised I would be, and the fact that I didn't fulfill that promise is unacceptable. As soon as this is over, I'll be there for you a hundred percent."

She just nods her head, pressing her forehead into my chest and sighing slightly. Just then I hear a set of footsteps approaching from behind me. I return Athena to her pokeball with one last, reassuring smile, before exchanging her pokeball for another. I stand and press the button, allowing Nicky to join me as Zeke appears.

He nods to the pair of us. "You ready?"

I choke on my reply and have to nod, but Zeke gets the message.

"Alright." He says. A group of about ten people come up behind him, all in WCR uniforms. He turns to them as Nicky and I line up next to them. "Listen up. Our job is not to break in through the main gate, but I think something can and should be arranged."

He grins slightly and pulls out a map of the entrances to Terminus Cave. "Now, the main entrance is here, across a wooden bridge with railways on it. Now, Derek Taylor here is a superb aerial combatant on his partner Salamence." He points out a thin guy with pale blue eyes and several thin scars on his face and arms, as if he'd been clawed. He nods slightly and grins. "My idea is to send he and Alex Gates to secure the doors and rig them to explode. Since most of their forces are currently outside the entrance, we can burn down the bridge with flamethrowers or similar. That way, the entrance is suddenly 30 feet off the ground, which cuts off the Plasma troops from their base. After that, we can capture the grunts and use dead trees to make a ramp up to the doors, which by then should be blown wide open."

Zeke takes a look around the faces of his troops, a grim expression plastered on his face. "I can't promise that all of you will make it. But this is bigger than us. That being said, let's give them hell!"

A cheer rises up from our team, and a few minutes later we're jogging through the woods. I nod to Nicky and return him to his pokeball. As I do, Derek Taylor slides up next to me.

"Hey, kid. Ready to whip some ass?" He quips.

I laugh nervously. "Sure, I suppose."

He laughs heartily, but his smile makes the scars on his face distort, turning his complexion even creepier. "That'll do, kid. You ever ride a Salamence before?" At the shake of my head, he continues. "No worries. You'll sit behind me, either on your knees or criss-cross. Hold onto my waist to stay on, and lean on my back if you feel yourself sliding off."

I nod, and we pull away from the team, who continue through the treeline towards Terminus Cave. Taylor releases his Salamence, who nuzzles him quickly before crouching and allowing him to climb on, hooking his legs in front of his wings. I climb on behind, nervously clinging to Jordan's waist.

"Alright, buddy." Derek says quietly. "Get us up quick, but stay near the trees. We'll dive from above."

For a split second, nothing happens. Then Salamence jumps, flaps his giant sturdy wings, and in moments we're gliding at a steep angle skywards, heading towards the cave entrance. I take a moment to secure myself before I gaze out around the clearing. Miniature fires are ablaze all around, with the majority of enemy pokemon and humans taking shelter in the cave entrance.

 _Here we come, Ghetsis._ I think to myself.

 **-Experimentation Room 32, 11:45, Ghetsis's POV-**

My cape flutters slightly as I enter the white room, where surgical equipment hangs around the walls in orderly fashion. A man in a white lab coat stands at a monitor, while two more stand over a gurney at the back of the room. On the gurney, a purple Braixen struggles fruitlessly, trapped in metal binds. The men attach electrodes to the girl's face, arms, and chest. I address the man at the monitor.

"Gordon." I state. He looks up at me and nods. I like him. He has enough will to try and piss me off, but he has yet to fail an instruction I give him. "How is it going?"

"Well enough." Gordon responds, his eyes back on the monitor. "She's terrified, obviously, so we're attaching extra electrodes to make sure we do everything right. We'll open her up in a few minutes."

At this, the Braixen screeches once and becomes silent, her eyes wide.

"And the other one?" I ask.

Gordon grimaces. "Ahh… A bit more of a problem. Despite the amount of energy we drain from her, she is still able to resist our attacks with psychic. Forgive me, Lord Ghetsis." He says.

I wave the matter off, as I was expecting this. "No problem, Gordon, you've succeeded so far. I'll get her started for you."

Gordon looks up, a spec of uncertainty lacing his voice. "My Lord, she's still extremely strong. If that room wasn't outlined in Houndoom skin, she would snap the necks of everyone in the building."

I nod, a hint of a smile being allowed to cross my face. "No problem, Gordon. I think she'll find my appearance… Interesting." With that, I open the side door and step into another room.

The lights are still on, but the room is completely bare. The only thing in there is a single gurney in the middle of the room, similar to the one encasing the Braixen. On it lays that blasted Shiny Gardevoir. She's completely silent as I enter, but I can feel the atmosphere in the room change. Despite the tubes running through the metal and draining her energy, she is still extremely on edge and alert. I have to admire her stamina.

Though her head is locked down, after I take a few steps closer, her orange eyes lock onto mine. And the look in them turns from murderous to utter shock.

"That's right," I say softly. "You remember now, don't you?" I put a single hand on her cheek, and she flinches away.

"I raised this team from below the ground up, Angel." I whisper. Her eyes widen, and there's no mistaking the despair and shock in them. It makes me smile. "Soon enough, he will understand. Arceus wasn't meant to rule. My friends around the world support me. We will bring the gods to their knees. And you, my dear, will be the key to our victory."

I turn and walk out of the room. As I close the door, I hear crying coming from the gurney. I turn around to see the scientists staring at me.

Gordon speaks up. "I heard rumors, but I didn't think they were true."

I simply nod. "She won't struggle now. Her spirit is broken."

Gordon nods assent. "Alright, then. I'll get st-"

 _ **BOOM!**_

Alarms start blaring through the base as the speaker on my walkie talkie squawks to life. Zinzolin shouts through it, his voice ragged and wet. "THEY BROKE THROUGH! THE DOORS HAVE BEEN BREACHED! GET TO THE-" The rest is cut off in another explosion and the speaker goes silent.

"Get them to the ship and get ready to take off," I say heatedly. "I will not lose."

With that I stride from the room and head for the hangar.

 **-Plasma Base Kitchens, 11:44 PM, Terry's POV-**

We appear in a flash of light, the energy use giving me a moment of nausea at the end of it. It only takes a moment, but by the time it subsides I see over thirty grunts cowering near a back wall, most wearing chef's hats and wielding cooking utensils.

There's a weird buzzing in my head, too, and it takes a moment for me to realize what it is. I can sense Angel again. Her mind is weak, but the feeling is so magnificent to me that I get light headed. I lean against a wall myself and would have slid to the ground, had Scott not caught me.

"Woah, Terry. You ok?" He asks. I shake my head and stand up.

"Yeah. Just a lot to take in. For some reason, I wasn't able to sense everything from outside the base." I state. "It was a bit much. I'm fine now."

This being true, there was so much besides just Angel that I couldn't sense that once I got in it was an overwhelming tidal wave. The thought makes me nervous. I speak up.

"Be careful. Whatever is going on here makes it tough for me to sense things with my mind. I cannot honestly say that I think I have a lock on every living thing in this base." I say. The group nods.

As we're heading out of the Kitchens, having thrown a grenade of Butterfree's Sleep Powder into the room behind us, an explosion rocks the mountain and one of the WCR members stylers crackles. I found it cool that the WCR hires Pokemon Rangers as well as trainers.

"We've secured the main entrance. If you all need an evac, that's the spot." Benjamin's voice sounds.

A small, quiet cheer sounds from our group, before we continue on. I can tell Angel is being moved, and I try to lead us in the direction of her mind.

As we round a corner, however, a shot rings out. The Ranger falls, a bullet in her leg. She screeches in pain as Scott grabs her by the armpits and drags her back around the corner while the others raise their M16s. One peeks around the corner and blind fires, earning a return spray of gunfire. I take a deep breath and reach out with my mind. I can sense over twenty grunts blocking a doorway, which leads to a giant room. I can tell Angel is inside.

Before I can think about what I'm doing, I teleport myself behind the grunts, fighting my way through the nausea and wrestling their guns from their hands. I fling the rifles unceremoniously down the hall, pushing the grunts off the floor and against the walls as I do so.

"Nice job," Scott praises as his team binds the grunts in ropes we found in a nearby room. The Pokemon Ranger has composed herself now as well, leaning against the wall. Her leg is still bleeding badly, though the other WCR members seem to be having success with their treatment.

The roar of a plane engine cuts off the next thing he was going to say, so I rip open the door to see a giant cargo plane taking off through a hidden runway.

"NO!" I scream, tossing a burst of energy at the craft. The plane rocks violently as it speeds down the tunnel, but by some impossible luck doesn't crash. Moments later it's out of sight.

Angel was on that plane. And Tana. I turn as another explosion rocks the room, and the WCR start firing at the door. Scott screams at me.

"Go! We'll hold them here. That plane is headed towards the main entrance. If you're quick, you can grab Zeke and Alex and teleport them on board with you! Zeke is an ok pilot, you can take control and land the bird! GO!"

He doesn't wait for an answer and I don't give him one, instead focusing my energy for a third time, fighting to stay upright as I teleport away once again.

 **-Plasma Base Main Entrance, Midnight, Alex's POV-**

Well, that happened.

Derek and I went into a steep dive on Salamence's back, swooping right into the cave. I thought we would be flattened by the landing, but Salamence handled it easily. Before the dozens of grunts knew what hit them, Salamence had blown the door to smoking bits with an impressive Hyper Beam. I had let Nicky out of his pokeball as we landed, and the mere presence of the Gallade caused the grunts to lay down their arms in terror.

Now we sat in a forward base, right next to the entrance, waiting for word from Scott and Terry.

I'm polishing Nicky's pokeball, having allowed the nervous Gallade to remain out of the sphere to watch the operation from the branches of a nearby tree. I can't say I blame him for being a bit freaked out. Arceus knows I am, too.

After a few minutes Zeke appears and sits down next to me.

"How you doing?" He asks casually.

I snort. "Have you taken a look around recently?" I respond, only half joking. I sigh. "Mainly nervous, though that could be Nicky. We tend to share each other's emotions."

Zeke nods and stays silent for a few minutes. As he's about to speak again, however, a small tremor shivers the ground. The entire camp goes silent almost instantly. The tremor stays, almost nonexistent, but after a moment starts growing in size until the ground is shaking wildly. Had I not been sitting, I would have been thrown to the ground.

Suddenly, a patch of vines and overgrowth above the main entrance to the base is blown apart, spraying our small army with bits of leaf and grass. Out of the green explosion comes a giant cargo plane, which quickly picks up speed. A few of the WCR and Sinnoh Company soldiers immediately prime several RPGs, taking aim. Their fingers are on the trigger when out of nowhere, Terry's voice rings out over the crowd: "DON'T SHOOT!"

His body comes into view a moment later, landing in a heap at my feet. He shakes his head furiously and repeats the command: "DON'T SHOOT! ANGEL AND TANA ARE ON BOARD!"

The word gets spread in time and the soldiers lower their weapons. Terry gets shakily to his feet and looks at me and Zeke. I take a glance at Zeke as well, noting the terror and despair in them.

Terry shakes his head at Zeke. "There's still a chance. We need to teleport on board."

My eyes widen, and I was about to call for Nicky when he lands smoothly at my feet. He must've been listening through my ears. I nod to him once and return him to his pokeball. "Alright," I said. "We're with you."

Terry nods at this, then grips Zeke on the shoulder with one hand. His other grips the crown of my head. "This is going to feel a bit weird, but I don't have another choice. I won't make it on my own."

Suddenly I feel a weird sensation in my head, as if a vacuum had been attached to my crown. Using some of my borrowed telekinetic power, and his accuracy and experience, Terry teleports us away. In a flash of light, the scene changes.

It changes to a dark green interior of the cargo belly of an aircraft, including over twenty people with guns raised, all pointed at us. In the middle of them stands Ghetsis, a sneer on his face.

I wish we could have had a more heroic entrance, but both Terry and I fall to the ground, spots in our vision as we take the hit from the teleportation. I wonder how much power Terry used during that raid, and just how much he used to teleport us onto a moving aircraft. He wouldn't be able to do anything for a good few minutes.

Zeke stands tall, moving to stand in front of Terry and I. As he does, he speaks. "Ghetsis. Finally come out of your damned hole? It took you long enough." He spits a wad of saliva to the ground between the guards and he.

Ghetsis laughs slightly. "Zeke Walker. I didn't know you were much of a trash talker. Last time I heard of you, you joined the White Coat Rangers. Do they know what you were before then? A petty little Pokemon Hunter." Zeke seems about to retort, but Ghetsis yells, "Shut up! I don't deal with lowlifes like you."

As he says this I stand, pulling Terry to his feet as well. Terry eyes the Plasma leader, but the look in his face isn't what I expected. It's a hint of… recognition.

Ghetsis nods. "Take a good, long look at me, Terry. We've more in common than you think."

Terry stares for another few seconds, then his eyes widen. He backs up so fast he trips over his own feet, crashing back on to the floor of the craft. "That's impossible…" He mutters.

Ghetsis shakes his head, still smiling. "No, it's not."

"Yes it is!" Terry retorts. "The bodies were burned! The Rangers found them!"

I have no idea what he's talking about, but Ghetsis just laughs. "What they found were the burned bodies of my old partner and a man that had been captured by Team Plasma. He had outlived his usefulness until then."

Terry practically stops breathing, and my eyes widen as well. The last time I had heard talk of this was the night before the tournament, seemingly ages ago in the Snorlax Lounge.

Ghetsis nods once again. "Hello, Terry, my son."

At our silent shock, Ghetsis chuckles. "Perhaps I should enlighten you." He says. "Long before I met your mother, I was fighting in a war up on Mount Coronet. The bad guys meant to release Dialga and Palkia into the world, and attempting to control them. As my fellow troops and I forged up the mountain, I begun to realize. These… 'Gods,' they allowed this. They allowed the enemy to get so close to victory. They allowed dozens of our men to die FOR THEM, because they wouldn't help defend themselves. Does it sound like they deserve limitless power?"

Ghetsis shakes his head sadly. "They don't. So I started searching for others who had similar thoughts. To my delight, there were hundreds, thousands who agreed that something should be done. I met with the leaders of some other organizations that you may have heard of. The Society of the Shattered Moon, Team Galactic, and Team Flare. It turns out, while they had been each doing it differently, they all were fighting for the same goal: Command over Arceus and his most powerful subjects. In return for helping the teams come to an alliance, I was given just as much power as they, along with a team to use to work toward that goal: Team Plasma."

Ghetsis laughs a bit as he continues. "Now, I needed a place to live outside of the base, to assume a normal identity. That's pretty hard for a psychic, as you all know. It just so happened that I had fallen in love with a lady in Nimbasa City named Michelle Collins. Soon enough, I settled down with her and begun my half life; raising you and making a local name for myself, someone that no one would suspect would be involved with anything. Then came the day I had to devote all my time to completing this wonderful project! I had my team start the fire that would have burned Nimbasa City, than when Blade and I went into the forest, I revealed my true intentions to him, which I had kept from him since day one. When he refused to join me, I killed him. I burned his body and that of the captured man and left them for the Pokemon Rangers to find."

Terry shakes his head slightly but says nothing. Ghetsis continues, spreading his arms as he does so. "Now, victory is within my grasp! Our teams will come together to destroy the godly pokemon and assume the power that should have been ours in the first place! You could help, son." He adds. He holds out a hand to Terry, beckoning for him to come forward. "With you at our side, victory would be assured! I would spare Angel, of course. The two of you could have a life together, anything you could possibly want! Join me, my boy."

I look at Terry. His face holds a stone mask, impossible to read. I almost think he's considering the offer when he slowly looks up at Ghetsis. Suddenly Terry flexes his hand and Ghetsis screams as bones crack in the older man's arms. He pushes out a shock of energy of his own, but Terry easily deflects it, causing the mounds of supplies around us to rattle.

He stares angrily into the face of Ghetsis, whose holding his arm gently but unwavering. When Terry speaks, his voice is so venomous that I get nervous myself. "I will never, ever betray my friends. And you're no father of mine." He proceeds to rip off the golden necklace from around his neck, taking a moment to pocket the Luxury ball that had been resting in the center. Then he levitates the necklace into the air and forces it to crumple into a tiny metal bit, bent beyond repair. He releases his hold and the ball of twisted scrap drops to the floor, unrecognizable.

Ghetsis stares at Terry for a split second. "Well, in that case."

He takes a pokeball in his unbroken hand and tosses it into the air.

 **-Cargo Plane, Present Time, Terry's POV-**

I'm sure I looked pissed off, judging by the look on Alex's face, but in fact I'm more stunned than anything. My father is alive. He's alive, and he is a terrorist. Only one thought flows surely through my head.

 _This man isn't my father. He's a monster._

The pokeball he tossed into the air is mimicked by Alex, and Nicky joins us in the cargo hold. Ghetsis's pokemon appears beside him, it's dark purple body and large red eyes staring hungrily at us. The Gengar laughs mischievously and takes a fighting stance. The Gallade does so as well, and I feel the hatred flowing between the two pokemon. Just as Nicky is about to attack, however, Ghetsis shakes his head.

"Leave them, Gengar. Go get the carts."

Gengar laughs maniacally and runs over to one of the crates. He taps the box with his hand, and with a small burst of psychic power, the side of the box comes loose. The nails fall out of place on their own accord, revealing a gurney with the purple Braixen, Tana, strapped to it. Gengar steps out of the way to allow a grunt access to the gurney, and disappears around a corner with another.

Seconds later Angel and Tana are wheeled into full view, and the sight devastates me.

Both are unmoving, and it's almost impossible to tell if they're breathing. The color has drained from Angel's face, so white it's almost translucent.

" _Push Ghetsis away and cause a commotion, Terry. Give Nicky a chance to get to the carts."_ I hear the thought that wasn't my own and take a sideways glance at Alex. He doesn't look any different, but I can tell he directed the thought at me. Not bad for a non telepath.

He wants a diversion? I'll be happy to oblige.

Without moving a muscle, I send an enormous burst of energy at Ghetsis, sending him flying into one of the crates. Before he can move an inch, I slam the opened panel shut and force the nails back into their spaces, locking the box. Nicky spins into the crowd, blades slicing left and right. In seconds all the grunts are unconscious, though their injuries are limited to heavy bruises. I turn my gaze to Alex.

He shrugs. "I didn't want them to be killed."

I nod, before dashing over to the gurneys. I place a hand on Tana's bar, getting a feel for the material. Then I take my hands off and rip the bars from the gurney with telekinesis, sending them flying across the room. Zeke runs over and hugs Tana's unconscious form while I rip Angel's beams off. I take a moment to hug her, before returning her to her pokeball.

Zeke stands, having returned Tana as well. He nods at me, than starts walking to the aircraft's cockpit. As he passes Ghetsis's wooden cage, however, the material explodes, nearly impaling Zeke with shrapnel. I quickly pulled him out of the way as Ghetsis appeared, looking enraged.

"You'll pay for that. Enjoy the rest of your miserable life."

Suddenly Alex screeches. I whip around to see the Gengar grab a hold of him, it's shadowy claws digging deep cuts into the boy's arm. Gengar laughs insanely as he slashes Alex's pocket, dumping his pokeballs to the ground. Then he flings Alex toward the cargo bay door.

Time slows down. I watch in horror as Alex smashes into the door, but instead of hitting it, a dark aura of energy pulses out from where he hit. Alex phases straight through the door.

And into open air, over two thousand feet up.

I stare at the door, silent with shock. I'm shaking. The silence is broken by a scream.

I turn to see Nicky dash past me, his long arms turned into deadly swords. Gengar only has a moment to grunt before Nicky is on him, slicing into his dark body. Blood pours out of the enemy pokemon as it's screams of torture and pain are mixed with those of Nicky's heartbreak, despair, and anger. In seconds the Gengar is reduced to a pile of blood and guts.

Nicky stands, his arms dripping crimson, He turns and looks at Ghetsis, a look of pure hatred in his eyes. Then he stoops, grabs Alex's pokeballs, and disappears in a flash of light.

Ghetsis laughs heartily. "That stupid kid was annoying anyway. As for Gengar… a waste."

He turns to me, cruel laughter and insanity dancing like fire in his eyes. "This isn't over, boy. You will kneel, and the gods shall do the same."

In that instant, an Espeon jumps onto Ghetsis's shoulders. Two grunts in pilot uniforms appear out of thin air next to him, then the three of them disappear in a flash of bright, white light.

Zeke turns to look at me, and I see my shock and hopelessness mirrored in his face. I wipe my eyes.

"We need to land the plane," I say, my voice breaking. "Get the cockpit."

 **(Author's Note: There was a review posted on this story's Chapter I (1) last night. The writer's name was "Disappointed" and he states, and I quote: "...You're late"**

 **That pretty much sums up my thoughts about the last two days. I have absolutely no excuse for this, and it has become clear that I cannot hold an update schedule. I apologize.**

 **That being said, the final chapter for 'Gardevoir, My Angel' is coming up soon in the form of an epilogue. The story will be continued soon after, however. Keep a lookout on my profile for the next page in the adventure.**

 **I may update this chapter again, just to revise it and make it better. I do not believe this is my best work. Talk to you all soon, Good Luck, and Happy Reading/Writing! -Orthros)**


	24. Chapter XXI: Unsettling Dreams

**-A City, 4 PM, Terry's POV, Two Days After Raid-**

"The catastrophe, while under control, is devastating. Larry has more from on-scene."

"Well, Alyssa, the group known as 'Team Plasma' has been run out of Unova today by the heroics of the combined forces of the Sinnoh company and the Unovan Armed Forces. In a battle that shook the region, Soldiers broke down Team Plasma's walls in a tremendous firefight. Loses were quite heavy, however, with over two hundred soldiers being honored today at what is now known as the Unovan Memorial."

The man clears his throat, wiping his eyes. "Over a thousand people have come not only to honor the fallen soldiers, but also the brave soul of ten year old Alex Gates, who gave his life in sacrifice to save Unova, and the world, from what very well could have been a destructive tragedy. Unovan officials have refused to comment further on this event, as have the two men who fought alongside Alex Gates in the final battle: Zeke Walker and Terry Collins."

"Please, Terry. Turn it off."

I tiredly click the button on the TV remote, causing the small, static filled screen to go dark. My fingers trace the bedspread I lay under in the dark of the small hotel room I've been allowed. Angel lays with me, the Gardevoir finally being deemed healthy enough to be allowed out of the Pokemon Center after two days of recovery.

Her skin has slowly been regaining color, thankfully, though she's still tired. As am I, I suppose. I leaned back on the pillows and pulled her closer, putting her head under my chin, smelling the delicate scent of her hair. She makes no objection, shifting slightly to avoid hitting me with her spike. I look out over her head to the only square of light in the room: the window, which looks out over the city.

Jubilife City. In Sinnoh.

The thought of the name only angers me more. Why the closest city Zeke could land in would end up being Jubilife, the City of Jubilant Life, when I'm mourning the loss of a brother in arms. It doesn't seem fair.

Angel has fallen asleep now, her light rest animated by her shifting. I move slightly and gently lift her off my chest, allowing her access to the pillows before she cuts me.

My thoughts drift to the conversation I had with my mother shortly after Angel was admitted to the Pokemon Center, at about three in the morning a little over two days ago. Neither of us had said much, but one thing was persistent in my head: I didn't want to go back to Unova. I had lost my best friend there. I had horrible memories there. I had lost my dad to a forest fire, only to get him again two years later in the form of an insane, cruel, torture loving terrorist. He had tried to kill me, and he had killed Alex.

Grief and anger quickly try to take hold of me, but they just as quickly drain out at the sight of Angel flinching in her sleep. In a way, I had caused happened to her. I didn't want to harm her emotional state further by screwing with her emotions.

A soft hand rapped on the door of the hotel room. I sighed. I could sense Zeke outside the door, patiently waiting in his WCR uniform. I took a moment to rub the spike on Angel's chest, causing her to shudder slightly. It was a trick I'd been learning about from other Gardevoir trainers, though I hadn't mastered it yet. Regardless, I felt I'd conveyed my plans in that moment, so I quietly got out of bed and strode to the door. I opened it just wide enough to let me step out, before closing it behind me.

Zeke smiles at me, but I can see the bags under his eyes. His new sword glitters nastily from it's strap on his belt, though it's color scheme of black and red matches nicely with his high ranking White Coat Ranger's uniform. I walk off towards the lobby of the Jubilife Hotel, and a few moments later Zeke slides up next to me and matches my stride.

"How are you doing?" Zeke asks hesitantly.

I don't respond at first and it's not until we get to the lobby that I do. "I'm not sure." I say slowly. "Tired, I guess. Where're we going?"

Zeke shrugs. "I thought that coffee shop over by the Pokemon Trainer's School would be a good place. They make good smoothies."

I shrug and let him take the lead onto the busy streets of Jubilife. We keep our heads down, though it's hard to go unnoticed, what with Zeke in his WCR uniform and my picture on every news site in the world right now. People try to stop us multiple times, but Zeke just puts a calm hand on his sword handle and they immediately stop pestering us.

I don't know if it's legal to threaten someone like that, but I'm not complaining.

Soon enough we arrive at the coffee shop, where we get a small booth to ourselves. It's a cheery little place, decorated in bright colors and waited by happy, smiling staff. Both Zeke and myself order waters, which are quickly delivered. The waitresses glance nervously at Zeke's sword, which he leaned against the booth under the table, easily in sight, but say nothing.

Zeke sighs contentedly, sipping from his cup. I do the same, though only out of courtesy. A few minutes later, he looks me in the eyes.

"You remember the first time we met?" He asks.

I nod. "You two came bursting into the Pokemon Center carrying shotguns, threatened to kill me, and said you were on my side."

Zeke snorts. "Pretty much. Then you got all magicky and aimed floating shotguns at me. Not exactly my idea of a formal greeting." He leans back, a small smile on his face. "Seems like ages ago, but it was only a few days, eh?"

Before I can answer, he leans forward, a serious look in his face. "Listen, Terry… I want to say that you were pretty damn impressive on that plane. I know this won't make up for Alex's death, but I want you to have it as an appreciation for everything you did leading up to that." He pulls a small package from his pocket and hands it to me.

Curious, I slide open the lid. A clear stone about the size of an orange falls into my hand. It's surprisingly heavy, glass smooth with a stripe of green and pink coloring flowing through the middle. And is it just my imagination, or does it feel… warm?

My breath catches in my throat. "Z-Zeke, how? What-"

Zeke laughs a little. "That, Terry, is a Gardevoirite. As for where I got it… It was a gift from Brian Wolf. He gave it to me while I was on honeymoon with my wife, Carmen. He said to give it to her as a present."

Zeke's voice held a thin note of fragility, like he might shatter any second. I felt like I was staring at a deer frozen in a pair of headlights.

"We loved each other… Then she disappeared. Only recently did I find out she was killed by Team Plasma." He says, his tone becoming rough. Then he sighs, the anger leaving him. "Terry, I want you to have that Gardevoirite. Give it to Angel. As a favor from me, allow it to symbolize the love you two share, as it did for me and Carmen."

A lump of gratitude formed in my throat. I nodded, tears dotting my eyes.

Zeke nods as well. "I'm sorry I couldn't provide you with a Key Stone as well, but with your skills I doubt you'll have trouble acquiring one I've heard that Professor Sycamore is an expert on Mega Evolution He seems like the kind of guy to ask." He sighs. "Alright. I think I'll leave you here."

"What are you going to do?" I ask him as he stands. He sighs again. "I'm not sure. The WCR offered me a spot in their ranks, but I'm not sure just yet. I'll get back to you on that. Adios."

He exit the shop, leaving everyone to stare at either the door or myself. I realize they must've been listening. I stand, staring down at the Gardevoirite in my hand. I grip it tightly for a moment, then put it in my backpack and head out, dropping a few dollars in the hand of a waitress as I do so.

 **-Jubilife Hotel, 11 PM, Terry's POV-**

I wake suddenly, having been enjoying my first good nights sleep since the… incident. I quickly rise to my feet, not particularly surprised to find myself back in the large, technically non-existent throne room. The walls flare to life, but the only thing I pay attention to is the throne at the end of the hall. I teleport to the feet of the large seat and sink to my knees in a bow.

All of it is just a show to hide how truly angry I am from the goddess. When I look into her eyes from my position, I see a vengeful fire reflected back.

"You let him die." I said, my voice shaking.

Mew sighed sadly. " _I'm sorry, young one. I had no choice in the matter."_

"LIES!" I scream, jumping to my feet. "You, the Queen of Creation, sitting on your damned throne with infinite power at your fingertips! Yet you let my best friend, a _ten year old kid,_ get himself killed because you were too damned lazy to get off your ass!" I pace back fourth, unable to stand still.

The Queen said nothing, but gazed at a random spot on her seat. In her eyes was a hint of something I wasn't expecting: Shame. She spoke " _He shouldn't have died, Terry. I would have given my own life in exchange if I could have. But the Rules of Fate are not to be broken. When they decreed his death, it was the first clear line of instruction in millennia. I had no choice but to let it play out."_

I wasn't sure what to think about that, but I couldn't stay angry at the look on her face. Her shame was deep. I sighed.

"Why have you called me here? Why now?" I ask.

" _Because the beginning of the end is upon us."_ Mew responded, her telepathic tone deadly serious. " _The forces of evil that are known as Team Galactic, Team Flare, the Society of the Shattered Moon, and Team Plasma are growing stronger and bolder by the day. Already they have captured a lesser daughter of Arceus to do their bidding with."_

An image flashes in my head: A fairy-like pokemon about the size of a Kirlia, her elf-like features colored different shades of green, locked in a cage that crackled with energy. She was covered in cuts and bruises, and seemed to be shielding her legs, though there was no immediate threat in the room besides the cage.

" _This is Celebi, a strong daughter of Arceus and a time traveler. She's been weakened to the point that she cannot use her powers alone to escape. She's being held somewhere in Hoenn."_

I nodded. "So you need Angel and I to bust her out?"

" _No."_ Mew replied. " _Fate decreed another Rule soon after yours: She frees herself, or dies trying. Her chance will come about three months from now. As for you and your friend... You are not alone in this fight, Terry."_

I blinked "Excuse me?"

Mew nodded. " _Yes. Another trainer, a girl of about fourteen years, will step foot in Jubilife City about a month from now. She will need guidance and protection. She will play a valuable roll in the fate of the world."_

"What does she look like?" I asked.

" _You will know her when you see her. Do not worry, young one. I am proud of your progress. It is high time we fight back."_

Suddenly Mew's eyes glow blue, and I sense the mindscape collapse. I hear her voice, but it is as if a thousand of her are speaking in unison: " _AND SO IT BEGINS. RISE."_

My body is surrounded in a pulsing blue glow for a split second. Then, darkness.

 **-Unknown City, 4 AM, Third Person-Unknown POV, Sinnoh Region-**

The girl tosses and turns in her sleep, crumpling the sheets of her hotel bed. The jostling wakes her little brother of three years, who turns to look at the blue glow emanating from his sister's body from his crib across the room. He laughs, his high voice causing the girl to snap awake. The glow fades so fast that she had no sight of it. She frowns at her little brother and lays back down.

Her thoughts drifted to the dream she had been having. It had been a peculiar dream. A boy of about 16 had been talking to a pokemon.

She laughs slightly, falling to sleep a few minutes later.

== END ==

The Story Continues On:

Keep a lookout for

Gallade,  
My  
Brother


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